B. Fleischmann - Welcome Tourist

One doesn't necessarily think of Germany when one thinks of warmth, but B. Fleischmann's WELCOME TOURIST manages to blend German industrialism with warm tones. Very Morr Music, in other words. "02/00" builds from whirs and clicks into a piano-driven piece, while "Guided by Your Beats" takes a slow guitar line and leads it by the nose into increasingly layered rhythms. "The Blessed," however, is much more jittery in its percussion, and the electrified guitar of "As If" add a nice texture. There's an overriding gentleness to the tracks here, even as the incessant buzzing of "Grunt" and "Waiting for You to Come" threatens to overtake the mellow melodies. It's a recurrent problem, as the woodwinds of "A Letter from Home" seems almost secondary to the harsh whirring. The lyrics on "Le Desir" seem earnestly romantic and, on "Sleep," thoughtful and dreamy. On the second disc, the long track "Take Your Time" blends country-western slide guitars with digital tweeting and a looped piano line, but the constant development of the background sounds keeps the main parts from growing too dull. The piano drops out for a brief saxophone and guitar duet, but re-emerges. It later gives way to a pure digital soundscape but comes back (partially chopped up) to accompany the vocals. Quite the journey for tourists of all nationalities.

Surprisingly warm for a full-electronic album. The constant background whirring of small devices tends to get a bit annoying. 'Take your time' is aptly named and easily the most powerful piece on this CD. Very nice.