Dopplereffekt / Objekt – Hypnagogia
Any label that succeeds in coaxing the only original material from Dopplereffekt in six years deserves praise. To obtain a second release in as many years from Gerald Donald’s enigmatic electro project is damn impressive. Strictly speaking, Hypnagogia is not a new Dopplereffekt release per se as it features a contribution from Objekt on the flip.
That said, it will undoubtedly pique the interest of Donald watchers and obsessives, even if it is less complete than 2013’s Tetrahymena on the same label. That record combined the spine-chilling electro surge of the title track as well as the textured, abstract sound scapes of “Zygote”, the sound that Donald et al had explored on the 2007 album, Calabi Yau Space. “Delta Wave” comes across like Donald is mining a middle ground, and sounds like an attempt to distil these different elements into one arrangement.
The lithe, snappy 808s of “Delta Wave” are indeed more understated than the scythe-sharp rhythm of “Tetrahymena” and with good reason; they provide the backing for a rich tapestry that includes pitched-up synths, squelchy bass licks, atmospheric pads and, somewhere amid the arrangement a wailing, waifish vocal. Is it a human or a clone from Donald’s alpine lab? We’ll probably never know for sure, but “Delta Wave” sounds woozy and seductive, almost mellow compared to Tetrahymena. Like having your work placed next to Guernica in a gallery, Objekt is given the unenviable task of following in Donald’s wake. How do you follow in the footsteps of a genius? The simple answer is that you can’t, but “Ganzfeld” is still worthy of attention.
Like other Objekt releases, the programming is extremely intricate. It sounds like a lot of thought and a mountain load of sweat has been put into the arrangement, which pops, clicks and whirrs through a seemingly un-ending series of sequences that move through swirling synths, dubby stabs and a cacophony of unidentifiable effects. It’s like Objekt has somehow managed to transform the swampy, glitchy electro of labels like Touchin’ Bass into a lean, mean groove that is accessible even in big room clubs. Despite lurking in Donald’s shadows, he deserves praise for achieving this feat.
Richard Brophy
Tracklisting:
A1. Dopplereffekt – Delta Wave
B1. Objekt – Ganzfeld