Apparat - Silizium EP

The backing strings yield a touch of tension without overdramatization, carefully offset by the softened IDM glitch and bassline and Raz Ohara's skilled vocals, settling in a place between lyric and hymn. A piece of art, to be sure, but not jaw-dropping.

A1's got laid-back glitch-IDM, but the syncopated bass thumps assert their presence too much to let the track lie in the background. Raz Ohara speaks up nicely. A2, I jump right away at the initial horn, which reminds me of Nils Petter Molvaer's work - transports me every time. A short IDM interlude, then strings, play back and forth as you imagine a Victorian recital in a decaying postapocalyptic steampunk ballroom.

B1, the looped drums and minor-key strings bring to mind the feel of some of the Matrix soundtrack. With that support, Raz's voice lurches forward with the creepiness of a monster back when you were a kid. B2 is aptly named; you can imagine walking down a drizzly autumn lane with Raz crooning.

C1 has echoey Sputnik synth melody with intermittent ethereal horns and a 4/4. Being less of a fan of vocals, this is an easy pick for my favorite track on this release. C2 gets very spooky, even with 4/4.

D1 starts with a warm electric piano with a little repetitive glitch perhaps reminiscent of the less grating portions of Oval. A minute in and you've got that soft syncopated thump and trademark synth that lets you know it's Telefon. It builds with a beautiful dusting of acid which works well behind and beside the vocals, earning second place on this release. D2 is a sparser mix that has the vocals play out in front of a small string arrangement that wouldn't be out of place - alone - at a recital.