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Umwelt: Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Umwelt twists Kraftwerk's classic sound into viral electro mutations where decapitating breaks lash and viral synths groan and snarl by turn. Unlike his Düsseldorf brethren, the French producer's guillotine style oozes a brooding intensity one more associates with breakcore and industrial. Deep cuts like the blistering opener “Don't Trust Me” and the wide-screen “Secret of a Black World Part 1” clearly demonstrate Umwelt's mastery of the style (he established himself as a DJ under the name Freddy J in 1993 and has been operating under the current moniker since 1996) yet there are moments during the hour-long set when his locomotive squelch, see-sawing chords, and doomsday moodiness begins to seem a tad formulaic. Yet, more often than not, something unexpected emerges to deflect the criticism. Believe it or not, a sly hint of “Hot In Here” funk, for example, creeps its way into “Mogul Project” while the emotive closer “Alpha Rf Meter” opts for chilled dreaminess. And the title? 'Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation' (GVS) refers to an experimental technique whereby a person's sense of balance is deliberately upset, forcing the subject to automatically veer left or right in order to regain equilibrium—Umwelt presumably aiming and largely succeeding (in woozy throwdowns like “Outlaw World” and “Biological Entity” especially) at inducing a similarly disorienting effect in his listeners. (Note that the eleven-track CD adds three tracks to the double-vinyl release.) June 2006 This review also appears in Grooves, issue 20. |
