PRICE:
$26.50
IN STOCK
ARTIST
TITLE
Electric Friends
FORMAT
2LP

LABEL
CATALOG #
DDR 014LP DDR 014LP
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
5/13/2016

Double LP version. In 2016, 25 years after Andreas Krüger's Der Dritte Raum debuted on Sven Väth's Harthouse/Eye Q label, Krüger locked himself in his studio to create Electric Friends, an album that marks a shift toward pop following the 2015 Aydszieyalaidnem album (DDR 011CD/LP). On Electric Friends, Krüger's approach is to create a meeting place for techno rhythms and sonic experimentation from the perspective of the dancefloor, and a song-friendly one at that. Befitting the club setting, the tracks are long, but they're crammed with interesting stuff. This album is not a clinical exercise in the textural possibilities inherent in static; Der Dritte Raum tracks pop hooks and disco beats, and he even throws a couple of trance-influenced tunes into the mix. Opener "Electric Friends" is a brilliant tune with an extremely catchy lead synthesizer melody underpinned by a sharp electronic backing. The track is suitably catchy without ever approaching raucousness. Electric Friends reflects the wide range of Krüger's musical interests, and there are some homages. "Command Line" has the odd distinction of being a Front 242-influenced track (in terms of beats and synths). "Wasserstoff" is laid-back, starting with house chords before getting noisier. Up-tempo, danceable instrumental techno dominates the album, but the detours are frequent enough to make Electric Friends work as a varied, complete document of feel-good body music.