Steinbruchel

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Customer reviews
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4...according to our Phil on Thu 16 Oct, 2008.

Slaapwel Records is back with a new CD of floaty dreamtime sleepiness by Steinbruchel. I'm not massively familiar with this chap but I remember he's had a CD out on the Room 40 label. This is less avant garde than the other stuff I've heard by Mr Bruchel. In fact it's some positively warm fuzzy ambience complete with hissy and hum. One 33 minute long track to drift off to (which is the theme of the labels releases) which is absolutely lush. The only thing I'd say about it is that it does it's job as I didn't actually hear the end of it as I drifted off. I can see that being a problem with these releases staying awake to the end. Completely lush electro acoustic ambience with a very strong electronic hum in the background to focus on. Another winner after the Jasper TX and Machinefabriek releases on the label. 'Home' comes in a hand stitched cardboard sleeve in sleepy edition of 200. Smashing.

I got in touch with Ralph Steinbrüchel when he asked me about the first slaapwel release. As things usually go, one e-mail led to another and eventually steinbrüchel seemed the perfect artist to compose a piece that would be excellent at inviting sleep. He accepted my invitation and confirmed my assumption by sending me the excellent "Home" a few months after the invitation. As with all releases I have to "test" it before I can release it as a proper slaapwel record. For this one I remember receiving the disc, deciding not to wait until it was bedtime, but rather play it on my home stereo, while lying in that big comfy sofa in my apartment. The sun was just right at that spot where its warmth spreads all over the sofa and was shining through my eyelids. That natural warmth - electrical heating cannot be compared to the generous warmth of the sun, no doubt - combined with the hissy guitarswirls of steinbrüchel turned out to be a perfect match. It sounds like a guitar that wanders through the forest without any goal or destination. Just floating, aimlessly. It's melodic yet there's no melody to be found. As far as comparisons go I would say Fennesz during his Venice days, or maybe like Mountains or other 12k artists. Also; "Pup" by Fenton might be a good comparision. But of course, the best thing you should do is simply put this record on, maybe on a winter day when the sun is able to break through the clouds. And just drift off..

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