Between the nightclub and the concert hall, Daniel Brandt’s “Eternal Something” is techno for the body and the head.
If there is one thing Germany is internationally renowned for, it is minimal techno. Drop the words “Kompakt” and “Berghain” during a conversation with a fan of electronic music, you will likely get a knowing and appreciating grin.
Repetitivity, austere soundscapes and a preference of rhythm over melody – minimal dance music, at its best, can transport you right into the industrial flair and drug-fuelled trance of Cologne’s and Berlin’s nightclubs.
The trio Brandt Brauer Frick, hailing from Berlin, have been reproducing techno’s atmosphere with classical instruments for seven years now, growing into a ten-piece ensemble on “Mr. Machine“. It’s an interesting approach to “electronic” music that creates its own world of sound, fitting in between the nightclub and the concert hall.
With “Eternal Something”, Daniel Brandt has now released his first solo album that continues in the same vein.
Brandt’s tunes build on the interplay of the rhythms of several types of instruments. Classically trained and having contributed to a version of Steve Reich’s “Six Pianos”, he expands his instrumentarium to include guitars, cymbals, bells and all sorts of percussion.
In addition to Andreas Voss on cello, BBF Ensemble member Florian Juncker delivers some trombone splashes, while Manu Delago contributes on hang drum. In the spirit of “Miami”, BBF’s second album, Brandt opens with the colossal “Chaparral Mesa” and sets the mood for the rest of the album.
The eponymous single off the record, “Eternal Something” helps you see the connection between Terry Riley and Steve Reich’s minimalism and its counterpart in dance music, minimal techno. It builds on a slightly hectic percussion and a plucked cello before finding openness in a simple piano figure that is undercut with brooding synth washes.
The album is a perfect fit for the label Erased Tapes, who have been exploring the frontiers between classical, experimental and dance music with such acts as Nils Frahm, Dawn of Midi and Immix Ensemble.
With a unique sound, Daniel Brandt’s “Eternal Something” is techno for the body and the head.
Stream “Eternal Something” LP on Spotify and Deezer.
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Daniel Brandt on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, www.
