Plastikman ‎– Closer

I find most people who don't like this album, have not really 'listened' to it.
This is not a straight-forward techno album. It's a pure concept album. You should listen it only in it's entirety.
It's about the break-up with his girlfriend, and the voyage in his mind he takes to get over it.
This album needs to be listened in a dark room, while you are on your bed/couch (preferably under a bit of influence of psychoactives). It is superb.

If you would have told me that this was a paradoy album made as a joke mocking Hawtin and minimal techno, I would believe you. Seriously the lyrics are a joke and sound like they were written by a 13 year old girl whose parents totally don't get her. If this album was under any other artist name besides "Plastikman" than no one would have cared about this release. I'm almost offended that this album would be released under the same moniker that gave us the "Sheet One" and "Musik" albums.

I enjoyed this album, i like the tracks "Ask Yourself", " Lost" , "Ping Pong", " Mind In Rewind" , "I No", "I Don't Know" and loved the way the melodys are well done in the tracks "lost" and "I No", these two tracks are very good, with a very deep side of life. When i listen to this album i imagine in most of the tracks that i´m exploring giant abandoned temples with lots of secrets to discover surrounded by dramatic atmospheres, and that outstanding voice reminds me of some powefull creature (a God in distress?) that is guiding us (listeners) throghout his submersive epic domains, in order to help him in some quest. i recomend this album for those who like to have their imagination stimulated by dark\deep\ambient electronic music. i Hope Ritchie will bring more albums with this style, "Closer" and "Consumed" are two albums from Plastikman that can lift you up without the need to consume drugs.

A very dark album, the epitome of minimal. A very dark, yet abstract avant garde sortof atmosphere that is so strong that the album is trippey on it's own, without much use of effects(has some nice voice samples though). This is what acid techno in the 2000s should sound like, not simply stuff with bad use of 303. The production is absolutely great... and the flow is incredible. Exactly what makes minimal music work. Sortof hard to get into, but when you do, it's great. Has some standout tracks that work on their own too, however with great album flow. The tracks are blended into each other which works well.
9/10 certainly
I highly recommend, perhaps not as a first look into electronic music, or even techno, but if you're in the right mood for it it's powerful.

This is the darkest, most paranoid and lonely record you may expect to hear in a lifetime, period.
Well, at least under the minimal moniker, which may say volumes, as minimal techno inherently tends to get rather dark and introversive.

Richie managed to transcribe a genuinely psychotic state with his music – the message from the individual tracks, which as standalones posses the ability to rip apart ones mind, sum on each other when listened to in succession with a build up of tension to bring either a closeup and rejection of the whole thing, or either a wave of insights by the recipient psyche. Obviously, Hawtin is an expert in reaching the deepest and darkest corners of the subconscious.

Musically, this is minimal techno at its best and is definitely a classic.

A very annoying release.

On one hand, the first half of it is very boring in being minimal for the sake of it, badly constructed and awfully pretentious.
On the other hand, the second half is really flowing, with a growing atmosphere, much more emotion and sounds that greatly remind of Sheet One.

Annoying because, even though the first half makes you want to puke for hours, the second half makes buying the album necessary.

Awful. Simply awful. Hawtin rehashes the same tired Roland sounds+effects, adds cheesy sub-high-school-poetry lyrics with some lame pitch and delay. I'll stick with "Consumed"...it's far better than this and about the last good thing he's done.

As Artifakts (BC) marked the begining of my interest in minimalist electronica, this release marks a little bit of a rebirth for me. This seems to be more experimental regarding the textures created and is quite ominous and menacing at times with his own distorted voice used to full, and some would say detremental, effect. Yet this album retains an overall sound somehow warmer then the previous consumed LP.

Very scary music. It seems like you either hate closer or you love it. Personally, I think it's very groundbreaking minimal... some of the darkest, most disturbing minimal I've heard. Maybe it's a glimpse into Hawtin's mind. If so, the poor guy is tortured. I usually don't dig vocals in music, but the "vocals" consist of dark, deep thoughts spoken into a pitch-shifter; some of the statements make me contemplate life in this insane world. Overall it's very intelligent music. This album is definitely worth getting if only to expand your musical conscience.