Thomas Brinkmann - When Horses Die

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  • Thomas Brinkmann has always been mysterious, partly because he tends to find a new sound for each project. He has recycled Mike Ink and Hawtin using modified turntables, he has dedicated albums and singles to women, a concept which culminated in his first full-length Rosa, while as Soul Centre he showed an innate ability to centre himself in the dance floor. It should be no surprise then that after almost two years of relative quiet Brinkmann finds himself with a new guise: that of singer-songwriter. Minimal techno producer does song-based album. Sounds familiar? Think this will be another Asa Breed? Wrong. Time to leave your preconceptions at the door as When Horses Die sounds like almost nothing else, at least in club land. This is not a straight-up collection of pop-techno songs; Rather Brinkmann has gone the whole hog and spent his time honing a concept album as dark and seeping as its all-black cover. Musically, Brinkmann’s influences cover a lot of territory and the results are unsurprisingly often more non-linear and atmosphere-based than anything verse/chorus/verse. Coil is perhaps a good reference point, especially in terms of the dark spectral mood, such as on ‘Spiral’, which is inspired by American earth-works artist Robert Smithson’s ‘Spiral Jetty’ sand sculpture in Great Salt Lakes, Utah. The musical and lyrical drama of many tracks could even be likened to Einstürzende Neubauten or Nick Cave, jamming with the Cars or Gary Neuman that is, especially on ‘Words’ and ‘Birth & Death’. The latter, ‘2suns’ and ‘It’s Just’ even reverberate with monolithic heroin guitars reminiscent of 80s psych rockers Spacemen 3. Hardly minimal techno territory. Spacemen 3’s dronier influence also extends to ‘Uselessness’, which has a hypnomonotic repetition which gradually pulls you down deeper and deeper, like staring at a dying man beneath a flickering fluorescent bulb. At the intersection of all these groups lies New York electro punkers Suicide. It’s not hard to picture Alan Vega and Martin Rev at the helm of the more unleashed and untamed middle tracks, especially the maniacal ‘2suns’, but also ‘Meadow’ with its digital funk and the serial killer reggae groove of ‘Souls’. Yet despite all these nods, it is always Brinkmann under the mask. His distinct percussive angularity and the alchemical processing of subtle sounds might reference ‘80s electro-rock, but they are his alone and worth many repeated listens. Lyrically, Brinkmann contributes his own words, but by far the greater emphasis is on other writers, particularly those from beyond the Iron Curtain, whose gloominess undoubtedly was a big inspiration to the overall mood. The piano bar blues opener ‘Words’, penned by Tuxedomoon frontman and puppeteer extraordinaire Winston Tong, features some beautiful phrasing by Brinkmann that is slurred and bitterly poised as if hopelessly drunk or narcotised. This itself is one of the keys to the excellence of the album: Brinkmann is playing a role in each track, conveying as much with the tone of his voice as his words. Those familiar with the track ‘Maschine’ from 2005s Lucky Hands will be familiar with its sound. Deadpan and deep, his voice is burned into each track, stumbling, stammering and anchoring leaden words in the air. It's pure showmanship. Overall then, When Horses Die is a rare work indeed. Short like an old fashioned album to which it pays homage, complete thematically and with enough sonic depth and vibe to keep you coming back again, it’s a breathtaking record.
  • Tracklist
      01 Words 02 Spiral 03 Birth & Death 04 Meadow 05 Souls 06 2suns 07 Uselessness 08 It's Just 09 When Horses Die... 10 40
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