When Horses Die

Germany's legendary label-owner, remixer and prolific experimentalist Thomas Brinkmann presents the follow-up to Klick Revolution. Please note: there is NO TECHNO on this album. The source of inspiration is a strange mix between Suicide, Trent Reznor, Joy Division, old Tuxedomoon, and Another Day on Earth-era Brian Eno. Ten tracks start up with piano and the broken arrangement between distorted guitars and bass - no drums, no beats, just lyrics from Tuxedomoon's Winston Tong. "Spiral" is also without drums and is an adaptation of artist Robert Smithson's "Spiral Jetty" earthwork in Utah's Great Salt Lake, elucidating the endings and beginnings between two people in love. "Birth & Death" twists out into heavier territory with drums and plenty of distorted guitars and "Meadow" is enhanced with lyrics by the Russian poet and essayist, Joseph Brodsky. "Souls" is a funky little number with lyrics by poet Marina Tsvetaeva and "2 Suns" is a heavy 100bpm stomper with Japanese lyrics, yet is totally unusable on 128bpm dancefloors. "Uselessness" is a dark, ambient, spoken-word track also based on the powerful metaphors of Robert Smithson. "It's Just" softly rocks right into the tune of "When Horses Die..." - a Velimir Chlebnikov poem mixed with Brodsky and a hint of the Mamas & the Papas. The album finishes as it began, but without words and nothing left to say. Just piano, cello and a distorted guitar.