Solo Works

Dieter Moebius guiding contributions to electronic music were lifelong. He first made an impression as part of the groundbreaking Cluster in the early 1970s, but Moebius was actively making new music up until just before his death in 2015, always redefining his minimal but rhythmically inclined style and frequently working with other artists who shared his perpetually forward-moving vision. Compilation release Solo Works was curated by Moebius longtime friend and collaborator Asmus Tietchens, who presents nine tracks from across Moebius sprawling discography as a solo artist that showcase his innovation and a musical voice that could be playful, intense, or chaotic depending on the moment. The collection begins with the bounding "Rattenwiesel" from the 1983 album Tonspuren. Its one of the tracks most in keeping with the joyful repetition that Cluster perfected, with simple synth melodies interlocking over a spare but persistent drum machine rhythm. Every so often, something that sounds like a computerized voice appears low in the mix, highlighting Moebius gift for minimal arrangement. "The Tracker," from 1999s Blotch, gets into more abstract textures, with backwards percussion and intrusive samples fitting into the same kind of motorized rhythms that Moebius used as a foundation for most of his work. The song flirts with the kind of techno production that was surfacing in IDM circles around the end of the 90s without losing either the focus or the silliness that were integral parts of Moebius style. The frenzied "Rast" (from 2009 Kram) embraces sonic confusion while only using a few instruments, while the synthesized tuba sounds and broken meter of "Das Ende" (from a 1986 soundtrack to a film called Blue Moon) show a far sleepier, stumbling side of his artistry. Each of the nine tracks finds Moebius in a different mode, but all share the same intricate perspectives that made his work so unique. Even the most foreboding tracks convey a specific sense of carefree joy, even if they express reaching for that joy rather than reveling in it. Solo Works is a lovingly compiled mixtape made in tribute to a life committed to sound, and it works well as either an introduction to what Moebius accomplished or a reframing of his output for fans already familiar with his range. ~ Fred Thomas