Robag Wruhme ‘Wuppdeckmischmampflow’

Robag Wruhme / ‘Wuppdeckmischmampflow’

CD / Digital

Kompakt / Released January 17th 2011

One of Germany’s most innovative dance imprints kicks off another 12 months of (hopefully) worthwhile long-form work with a mix from the man responsible for the Wighomy Brothers. As you’d expect, it’s a jazzy, smoked out, and pretty damn atmospheric tech house affair.

Following the beatless ambience of the introduction, Danny Norbury’s Speak, Memory, it’s not long before things start to adopt a wholly mechanical, yet somehow earthy ethic. Five minutes later, and such opening tune ups are all but forgotten as things begin to get a whole lot more memorable, not to mention melodic, with the arrive of the DJ’s very own track, Freggelswuff, back to back with Ricardo Villalobos’ Dexter. That we escape such eerie soundscapes, only to find ourselves in another three-track mash up, pretty much maps out how the remaining 14 ‘segments’ play out.

Along the way highlights come thick and fast, and with names like Claro Intelecto present and correct, it’s no great surprise. Neither is the fact that we’re permanently positioned just the right side of minimalism, with a welcome, not overbearing seasoning of symphonies. Well, this is, after all, from the stable marked Kompakt. And there’s no shortage of dancefloor bombs here either. One listen to Moderat’s Rusty Nails, will make it clear that there are enough slabs of tough meat to satisfy even those with the biggest appetite for beef jerky. That it then pans out into something of a euphoric ode to the post-rave stylings currently riding high in the popularity stakes makes it all the more enjoyable.

As should be the case, trying to run through Wruhme’s set list here would be folly, because it’s job well done so far as melding tunes together. As a result this is a far less a case of identifying favourite items from the back of the CD, and more about praising the release for it staggering ability to leave you feeling like a range of emotions have just been experienced. It’s melancholic yet hopeful, dirty but smooth, experimental but so invitingly familiar, and pretty much defined by Four Tet’s rather spine-tingling Angel Echoes. With such a high standard set early on, 2011’s needs to pull something out of the bag to make sure we’re not disappointed by forthcoming compilations.


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