Future Sound Of Germany

Of all the nu electro proponents, Anthony Rother s spin on the sound is the most futuristic. Sleek, neo-classical and with an underlying feel of menace throughout, Rother is darker than The Hacker, deeper than I-F and, in contrast to the piss ripping sound of fellow countryman Hell s Deejay Gigolo label, a stern musical futurologist.
One listen to the wide screen electronic mood grooves that populate his recent debut album, Simulationszeitalter roughly translated as age of simulation , prove that Rother has far more on his plate than a body popping revival. Swathed in dark, at times Wagnerian strings and stark robotic rhythms, the album is quite an intense experience, and, with track titles like Nuklearer Winter ( Nuclear Winter ) and Genstruktur ( Genetic Structure ) conjures up an oppressive feel.
Happily, the concept behind Simulationszeitalter doesn t support the almost totalitarian connotations evident in the music.
It s a concept album, a bit like a science fiction story, Rother explains. It s about living in the future, when the worst things possible have happened. In a way, it s dedicated to Nature, the fact that Nature is so important to us and that although technology can bring us into the future, it also has the possibility to destroy anything.
Though cautious about the power of new technologies, it s obvious that Rother has immersed himself wholly in the computer world. A self-confessed technical boffin, he claims to spend the majority of his time using computers searching for the perfect sound, the best quality I can get, and, despite the slave state envisaged on Simulationszeitalter, Rother is also supportive of the liberating aspects of computer technology.
It allows individuals to make and create what they want, he says. For example, with the Internet you can communicate and publish at will, everyone can express themselves. It has allowed the world to become a more open place. MP3 is a sign of the times: the only people who really have a problem with it are the major labels and artists, who ll probably use their influence to create laws to regulate the Net. It s not a problem for me because I m an underground artist and it s good promotion. Anyway, music is art and people will always want to buy the original.
Like the best art, Rother s own work is strikingly familiar, yet refreshingly alien, textured electronic music that makes nods to a myriad of sources. Rother s work is often compared to that of German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, but there s a lot more going on in Simulationszeitalter than just lazy early electro pastiches. Alternatively check his work on the recent Sven Vath album for proof that Rother s oeuvre extends way beyond the confines of the jerky electronic groove, a rare occasion where Rother decided to collaborate with another producer.
I don t work with many people because I have so many ideas, such a big vision, he explains. Luckily Sven was open to my ideas and could follow my vision, but it s not something I do very often.
Of the Kraftwerk comparison, his reply displays a guarded anger, the result of having to constantly answer the same question.
People say I m influenced by them, but they should really look beyond that, he reasons, albeit through gritted teeth. I m also heavily influenced by soundtracks. For example, I really like John Carpenter because he was the first producer to use synthesizers for film soundtracks. I listen to every kind of music, it doesn t matter what it is, I m always looking for quality and something that touches my soul. Sure, it might be mixed with a cold synth sound, but it really depends what the individual listener gets from it and how they react to it. It s an open ended thing, I leave it up to everyone to figure it out for themselves.
Simulationszeitalter is out now on PSI49NET.