DIE GESTALTEN レコード& CD

Review: Four killer electro anthems from Die Gestalten, the multiplicitous moniker behind whomever it is that also operates the long-serving German label of the same name. Panther Schallplatten promise no repress, and yet also no "games, faces or bling bling", offering a tempting tradeoff between limitation and candour. 'Unsere Waffen' and 'Kaltland' establish versatility enough on the A-side alone, the former track serving an acid aperitif backed up by joggling chord cuts and blooming arps, the latter following on via a nouvelle cuisine "heater" on ice; twinkly cubes inside a sonic seafood chiller, and steamup windowpane breaths in the surround mix. The B-side is a comparative voider , 'Das Universum' working in huge hooverish synths and the surprise 'Vorort' erring nervous breakdance tool.

Review: One of two Die Gestalten releases to make itself manifest in 2024, the elusive German electro moniker once again take(s) a heavy UR inspiration to a looser and more contemporaneous end, laying down four killer electro tools for the more tenacious tune selector. With this record described by the label as "made by a completely unknown source out of nowhere", to use the word "elusive" to describe this act would be an overstatement; check their back catalogue for an audio-induction, as it's technically all you'll need. The visage-obscurant 'Erinnerungen' and follower 'Du Bist' sound like clanging Martian mashups, nailing a certain mood of cartoon suspense, one often heard in the Platonic sci-fi soundtrack immediately after a plot-essential crash landing. 'Der Wanderer' closes on a much dourer note of animalistic acid, signifying much less than the A besides a comparatively carnal all-consumption.

Review: Germany's Die Gestalten amounts to far greater than the sum of his influences, a fact which once again proven by his latest record 'Ruhe In Frieden' ('Rest In Peace'), a sweet and mournful electro tune the likes of which we have never heard before. An unsettling tune, its live rendition here takes the unusual step of bringing wake-bound tiny violins to a skittery electro jaunt, amounting to the kind of vinyl-pressed funereal object we only imaged we'd need in a distant future, as opposed to now (when funeral services are still occupied by overtly human forces - no matter - that'll all change come the ensuing cyborg revolution). Who knew that a disc on a turntable could express this much grief? Sure, they've slipped into the other room; no-one dared guess said room wasn't a dancefloor...

Review: Die Gestalten's commitment to gnarly underground electro continues apace with this triple-pack monster from the shadowy figure. As ever there's a steely, almost industrial focus to the sound, where machine funk goes heavy on the machine. There is space for some melodic warmth as well, such as the cosy lead lines cresting over the top of 'Der Sucher' and the artfully modulated live version of 'Traenen'. But even in these more approachable moments there's a sense of robotic detachment - this is electro in the purist, icy sense of the word. If you thirst for a large dose of truly underground gear from a lone wolf, this payload will have you body popping for days.