Back

Overwhelmed by the cookie-cutter samples and kitchen-sink production that plagued house music in the late '90s, or looking for a funkier alternative to the glitch-and-nod minimalism of experimental techno, a group of producers from Germany began to eagerly explore what would happen when the groove-friendly sounds of house were stripped to the bare essence of beats and tones. More often than not, the results were outstanding. One of the finest albums to come out of this relatively young German minimal-house scene, dubbed "micro-house" by some, Markus Nikolai's album flows consistently as a whole, while most every track could work perfectly on a dancefloor. He keeps the listener engaged by filling the wide-open spaces between the beats with catchy chants, "Backbeat," and squirrelly pops and stutters (every song). Nikolai's own vocals appear on five of the tracks, sounding sultry and masculine, not dissimilar to 80's rocker/sex symbol Michael Hutchence. In fact, there is not so much distance between the sinister "Chick Flick" and INXS's "Need You Tonight." The '80s connection sublimely continues with the replayed "Billie Jean" bassline on "Passion." Nikolai's funk factor is also aided with the assistance of Chicago pioneer Derrick Carter, who "reworked" "Bushes," making it one of the most memorable tracks to be released on Carter's Classic record label. As Nikolai and his label Perlon continue to gain notoriety, listeners will look back on Back as the label's first full-length album, and a map-point on this particular route of German electronic music. ~ Joshua Glazer|