Moog Conspiracy: Ground Zero
Elektrotribe

The fifty-minute Ground Zero delivers four new tracks of experimental techno by Moog Conspiracy project (Romain Favre and David Szauder), augmented by remixes from Breger and Alex Tomb. The material retains vestiges of minimal character but its spacey vibe distances it somewhat from the strict prototype. A fusion of cosmic experimentalism and earthy pulsation, the title cut roars for a robotic twelve minutes, scattering meteor showers of electronic chatter, galaxial light streams, and oscillating synth tones over a banging techno base of percolating percussion and bass thrust. Trippy too, “Back Door” often seems on the cusp of spinning out-of-control when woozy smears of distorted electronics and inflamed synth chords repeatedly besiege a nimble-footed, electro-funk pulse. Rather more skeletal and earth-bound by comparison, the dance-floor thumper “Dishy You” sprinkles its metronomic groove with ride cymbal accents, simple tinkling melodies, and sleepy “um” voice fragments. The track also receives two makeovers, with Breger's variation equally clubby in spirit and Alex Tomb's a light-speed sparkler of panoramic proportions. Tomb's pulsating futurama, which works itself into a Dionysian fever until it reaches its glorious summit at the eight-minute mark, is a marvelously-realized piece of work and unquestionably the release's highlight.

February 2009