Two or three years ago i spent Summer listening to synth/laptop music, from Fennesz to Hermann & Kleine, a brand new, apparently limitless, musical landscape unfolded before my eyes. Landmarks were named Komeit, Manual or Isan. None of them were American of English, some were French but really most of them were German.

The inherent limits of the music struck me a while after, it's cute but most of the time really inconsequent. And as time went by I started to become more and more bitter towards synth-pop. And once in a while a good album would pass by, something you'd actually like to listen to twice, at home, while reading or cooking, or just for the sake of it. Zweite Meer is one of these records. A label on the record could read: "soundtrack to your life, soft and convenient, adapts to whatever mood you're in." It's instrumental music, but hardly electronic, which ends up paradoxically refreshing. If you need comparisons, and i know you do, it's reminiscent of Mum's earlier stuff, a bit less intense and without those angry elves singing. It's a very good record, perfect for bittersweet railroad trips.

-Barbara H

/apr 15th 2005/