Techno
1972
Ostgut TonO-Ton 125
Techno
12"
£8.33 (£9.99 incl. VAT)
A. 1972 B. Schism C. The Wisdom Of No Escape D. Electric Storm
On 1972, veteran producer and live musician Tobias Freund offers up four tracks of layered and
meticulously-crafted techno using his extensive archives of tape recordings collected since childhood.
Referencing a mix of profound political events in German history and esoteric meditation guides, the
Berghain resident's warm, detailed sound edges beyond the floor toward brain-tingling home listening
and wanderlust autobahn escapism.
The EP begins with the titles track’s buzzing synths panning rhythmically across the stereo field like a
hypnotist’s pocket watch, while a somber, sampled string melody pushes further into cosmic territory
before concluding with a bi-lingual eulogy. “Schism” soars with a never-ending snare roll and sparse
kicks – an entire track floating on a break that never lands. On “The Wisdom Of No Escape”, Freund
combines soft, polyrhythmic bleeps with esoteric vocal samples on an inward path of hallucinogenic
internal discovery. EP closer “Electric Storm” makes a turn for the ultrastoned, with hats and writhing
vocals disintegrating and reforming over a soft, round steady pulse.
Overall, 1972 features a sound that Tobias. has honed for over 30 years, having initially made a name
for himself mixing various pop hits in the 80s and 90s while simultaneously producing experimental
electronics under various pseudonyms including Metazone, Phobia, Pink Elln, and Zoon. On his own
Non Standard Productions imprint he has regularly collaborated with the likes of Max Loderbauer and
Ricardo Villalobos and most recently with visual artist Valentina Berthelon as Recent Arts. His
releases and lengthy live techno sets with AtomTM continue to set the bar high for improvised
electronics.