Richard Bartz - BIG

Richard Bartz, widely considered to be one of the most interesting and versatile producers of the electronic avant-garde, has released his first album on his own label, Kurbel Records. In doing so, he has chosen to ban all mod cons from the studio, and produce the entire album using only analogue techniques. Bartz has obviously put a lot of time and effort into this long-player; unfortunately, it fails to make the grade, and at times feels like there's something essential missing. It starts promisingly, with interesting tracks such as Atomic Dog, but builds up into nothing. This hardly makes for compelling listening, as the relentless pounding beat never seems to alter between songs. In fact, it is hard to decipher when one track ends and another begins. Hardcore fans of Bartz and his unique, very German sound will love his latest retro-style offering – those of us who've moved on since eighties techno had better give it a miss. [Karen Taggart]