American Breakbeat Compilation

Andreas Busche | Spex

When work started in Berlin on the compilation “American Breakbeat”, the electronic shenanigans of Californian producers like Kid606, Kit Clayton and Matmos were still a bizarre exoticism that had just been given its own, very manageable section in Hardwax. At that time, the CDs by Phthalo and Reckankreuzungsklankewerkzeuge were still under “Cosmic Music” because the term “IDM” was already occupied by the nerds. Times are changing: Kid606, like Matmos and Clayton of course on “American Breakbeat”, now functions as a multi compatible laptop pop star with crossover potential from death metal to hip hop to Deleuze, and the IDM mailing list proclaims “Intelligent Dance Music” as a new attitude to life in time for the release of the compilation. The pimply boys come out of their holes. There are no girls on “American Breakeat” yet, although the compilation is by far the most advanced project to date. In these parts, it still smells like puberty! The double CD provides an essential overview of the different production approaches in the American camp. From the easy-care cuddly pop of a Marumari to the DSP electro of Multicast and Cex to the granulating, cluster-like terrorizers of a Datach’i or Cathars. In between Lesser with an authorized but never released sound hack at low fi band Swnowqueen (this is what indie rock must sound like today). Phthalocyanine’s airless reverb clips where he sharpens rhythm and sound with the power of musique concrete, Hrvatski’s symphonic complexities and Rook Valade’s dehydrated, trembling flanger jazz. The conceptual highlight is Alejandra and Underwood’s Erased Aphex Twin, after Rauschenberg, an adaptation of Rauschenberg’s etching technique on Roy Liechtenstein’s paintings. They skeletonize an old Aphex track beyond recognition.