Tilman Ehrhorn’s new electronic album, Past Utopia is sourced entirely with samplers and synthesizers. Whilst this is nothing to raise one’s eyebrows about in general, the fact that Tilman is an experienced jazz saxophonist and composer who has played and collaborated with the likes of Wayne Shorter and Nils Wogram adds a layer of complexity and intrigue that is often missing from modern electronica. Past Utopia summons up the spirit of the City Centre Offices label, the hermetic yet danceable vibe of classic Farben or Jan Jelinek, and the misty processed digitalia of Norway’s Information and Svalastog. Immediacy is not Past Utopia‘s strong suit – this is music for headphones or decent speakers given space and time to percolate into your synapses.
As a musical terminology, jazz seems to be rather a dead fish these days. Back in the 90s, this definition may have held some validity (although, positioning such beats and textures as “Intelligent” would seem to have been journalistic insouciance, rather than anything so hard and fast), I’m sure that Tilman Ehrhorn’s electronic music would be labelled as such. There is his formidable pedigree – with his first electronic release issued by the mighty Mille Plateaux label. There’s his razor sharp beat programming and use of melody and dissonance as counterpoise. “The Crown” is a good example, the delicate dicing of this track almost give it the feel of a DMC championship DJ frenetically flinging the crossfader from side to side to create a new DNA out of two disparate tracks. “Radio Patrol” markedly reminded me of Farben or even Metamatics, with pointillist microhouse textures mapping out the trajectory.
“Loitering as Defined” heads into the space age bachelor pad with a pair of comfy slippers, whilst “Relocating” dallies with a decidedly upbeat form of electronica, complete with slap bass samples! “Love Couch Track” clocks in with the lengthiest excursion contained on Past Utopia; seven minutes of deep, rhythmic, hypnotic textures. Imagine Jan Jelinek circa Loop Finding Jazz Records collaborating with a second wave Detroit producer like Carl Craig and you’d be somewhere in the correct musical neighbourhood. The second movement of “Love Couch Track” enters into a clicks and cuts influenced meditative electronic stasis; it’s almost like travelling without moving, in fact. This track drew me into Tilman’s electronic universe completely. Before I was aware of it, I was deeply immersed in the “zone”, always a blissful place for a musical obsessive like myself.
Oliver Laing
