b. fleischmann

Melancholie

It can certainly be said that Morr Music's B.Fleischmann is not one to shy away from epic recordings. He started his musical journey with 'Pop Loops for Breakfast' which also, interestingly enough, was the premier release on the then unknown Morr Music label. Since then both he and the label have expanded rapidly and his work peaked with the fabulously grandiose double disc album 'Welcome, Tourist'. Split into a cd of more bite-sized pop songs and one gigantic electronic-jazz experimentation this saw Fleischmann at the top of his game, and this kind of expanded live semi-improvisation is where 'Melancholie/Sendestraße' takes its grounding. Released on Morr Music's occasional Sound of a Handshake imprint this takes two 50 minute recordings, the first recorded live at the 'Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin' and the second recorded live for radio at Orf Sender Bisamberg. Picking up where 'Welcome, Tourist' left off we begin with crumbling harmonic layers of synthesizer building slowly like strings ready to explode into crescendo, eventually a plucked cello is brought into the mix before the piece explodes with Fleischmann's token joyful electronics. The piece builds emotively for almost thirty minutes before we're greeted with that most welcome of ingredients, the low slung hip hop beat which takes 'Melancholie' by the throat, further emphasizing the slow reflection the piece offers us until it draws to a hissing close. The second piece however takes a markedly different direction and shows that Fleischmann has a surprising willingness for the more experimental side of life. Rather than exploring the pastoral Austrian melancholy of so many of his works, 'Sendestraße' sees Fleischman cranking up his distortion pedal and allowing shards of electronic noise and dense clouds of vinyl crackle to make up the majority of the piece. Of course the patented electronic groovebox percussion is still here, as is the gorgeous attention to detail and melody, but this is all submerged beneath 200,000 leagues of overdrive. A good comparison would be the heady melodic distortion of My Bloody Valentine's classic 'Loveless', and when the pounding beat kicks in at mid-way through the piece it practically forces you into a sugared shoegazing reverence. Unashamedly uncompromising, 'Melancholie/Sendestraße' shows an artist who is not afraid to take risks, to realise his epic concepts and thankfully we have the opportunity to hear them. Maybe size does matter after all?