BOIE, ANDREW

[kool_aid_girl_naf]

HEY HAS ADAM CALLED U TODAY ABOUT THE SHOW? IF HE DOES GIVE ME A CALL..... ANOTHER 9 SIGHTING IS IN CALL....LOL

[Jack Masta Janda]

just out of curosity... how is this a suggestion?

[andrewboie]

just out of curosity... how is this a suggestion?

http://www.absorb.org/img/reviews/a_wruhme.gif

ROBAG WRUHME - WUZZLEBUD \"KK\"

the packaging\'s miniscule type and minimal design aesthetic might suggest that robag wruhme\'s wuzzelbud \'kk\' is micro-music of the 12k or line sort. don\'t be fooled; it\'s kompakt-styled tech-house that pushes far beyond repetitive 4/4 with lots of innovative twists and turns. rubbery bass lines and sheathed hi-hats work up a consistent sweat throughout, but stylistic variety is ensured when touchstones include not only tech-house but micro-sampling, hip-hop, and soul.

you know you\'re in unusual territory from the outset, with the chopped electro beats of \'hugendubel\' and its scrambled, computerized voice intoning \'pigeon toe\' (some lost fragment from the proptronix release pigeon funk! perhaps?); the track takes a sweet turn at the two-minute mark with some added background shimmer. a more familiar though no less satisfying style reigns on \'mensur.\' here, fluttering, scurrying patterns percolate over cologne 4/4 rhythms joined by rubbery synth lines punctuated by booming splash accents. the clanking, whirring clickhouse of \'jause\' shows how much can be accomplished with a single vocal fragment (\'check my vision\') and a little imagination. on the mellower tip, there\'s \'pelagia\' whose slow autechrian clicking beats complement melancholy melody lines. the title track\'s propulsive 4/4 techno includes agf-like spoken word fragments whose voice delivery rhythmically stutters when presented more fully. the album peaks, though, with \'k.t.b.,\' perhaps the track that veers farthest afield stylistically. its acoustic bass-driven funk and deep hip-hop flavourings are tasty enough but even more irresistible are franziska \'delhia\' grohmann\'s smooth, sultry flow and the \'ooohh, yes we\'re coming closer / ooohh ooohh, i rap you inside\' chorus. the album closes out with the infectious house rhythms, vocal fragments, and acid synths of \'shrubbs\' and the guitar glissandi and soft waves of the ambient oasis \'konnex.\'

wruhme manages the not easy feat of invoking numerous styles while preserving an overall unified feel, largely due to the whomping 4/4 beats and pulsating tech-house patterns which appear throughout. wuzzelbud \'kk\' represents no radical advance upon existing genres but it\'s a satisfying and accomplished set nonetheless. anyone seeking a classy and imaginative collection of high quality tech-house could certainly do a whole lot worse than this.

reviewed by ron schepper