Wir

Ladomat is the electronica arm of the German L'Age d'Or label, which released a two-disc sampler of guitar-based alt-pop shortly before this one. As expected, this Ladomat collection focuses more on beats, loops, and samples. The first disc is poppier: opening with the squeakily funky "Maritima Spezial" by Sand 11, the program ranges from well-crafted, almost organic-sounding electro-pop from the likes of Hans Nieswandt (check out the neat juxtaposition of Spanish guitar and Moog synth on "It's Not Over") to bleepy post-new wave (Subtle Tease's "Decoration Self Righteous") and parodic disco (Whirlpool Productions' humorous but way overlong "From Disco to Disco"). The second disc focuses primarily on dance beats, many of them built on a Detroit house foundation and all of them tending to blur together in the mind if the whole disc is listened to at once. A notable exception is the driving and nicely sung "All I Love Is Green" by Commercial Breakup. The marimba part on Sand 11's "E-Muhle (Donna Regina Mix)" is worth hearing, too. Recommended overall. ~ Rick Anderson|