Robag Wruhme – Wuppdeckmischmampflow review

Ricardo Villalobos is cited by many as the master of the shuffling, spaced out minimal DJing, but on Metawuffmischfelge, the Wighnomy Brothers’ 2008 mix CD, and now in solo mode with this latest selection, Robag Wruhme proves that he has some serious competition. Keeping the studio trickery to a minimum –  although there are some inspired instances of layering, most notably the ghostly vocal over  “Dexter” and the subsequent merging of Villalobos’s most introspective track with Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Wruhme, a vinyl DJ through and through, excels simply because he plays great music in the right order.

That may sound like a simplistic evaluation of Wuppdeckmischmampflow, but it’s hard to arrive at any other conclusion. Designed to be listened on a sunny spring morning rather than late at night, it teems with melodic cuts, like the aforementioned “Dexter” and Kollektiv Turmstrasse, but also Four Tet’s utterly beguiling glitch techno “Angel Echoes” and the live, Durutti Column meets Isolee-inspired Krause Duo remix of Ian Simmonds. There are brief dalliances with stripped back, dancefloor focused rhythms courtesy of Claro Intelecto and Moderat, but Wruhme’s own “Robellada” best defines the mood and direction of this mix. Underpinned by achingly evocative music minor keys and balmy melodies, it hints at intelligent techno isolationism and captures a quintessentially Germanic melancholia that even Villalobos would struggle to emulate.

Richard Brophy