THOMAS FEHLMANN
thomas fehlmann - Honigpumpe
There's something incredibly distinctive about Fehlmann's production style - from 'Stralensatz's opening, its bottom-heavy warmth sucks you into a real ear massage of an album. There's a clarity and crispness to the production that ushers in a certain sense of comfort, knowing that you're in the hands of a man so thoroughly on top of his game. Fehlman effortlessly brings together a mixture of hazy audio landscapes and a firm 4/4 structure with a level of fluidity that inevitably brings to mind the work of Wolfgang Voigt under his Gas moniker. At least, that's the tone the album begins with. By the time you hit 'Schaum', Fehlmann's in a slightly heavier, deepened dub mindset, albeit while still retaining that initial sense of warmth and lusciousness. 'I.R.N.I.I.Z.' is the big reminder of Kompakt past, featuring a sturdy, midtempo schaffel, but thereafter, it's back to the album's early form, with the cavernous filtered techno of 'Arbeitstitel' and the soft, jazzy minimalism of 'Atlas 2'. Very good indeed.
