Thursday 14 December 2023

Mehrschöpfung (2023) by Vlimmer - Music EP Review


It was only a few months ago that I reviewed Zerschöpfung, the latest album from Berlin based musician Vlimmer. Now he is back with a new six track EP titled Mehrscöpfung, one that is said to diverge from that one due to being more introspective and ethereal. After a few listens while at my day job, this finally clicked one dark night when I was doing my washing up.

It all begins with 'Rückflut', an opener in which Vlimmer chants almost monastically, leading up to perhaps the greatest track on the album, 'Luftmangel'. Described in the press release as 'proto-EBM', my notes described this as sinister industrial with a great backing beat (that did result in me dancing around my kitchen a bit). 'Körpesuche' closes out the EP's first half with an atmospheric twisted electronic/industrial sound to it.
'Stirnseite' is the most upbeat tune on the EP, even if that is upbeatness is paradise as glimpsed within a terrible nightmare. Penultimate track 'Trotzmacht' is a five minute instrumental that has some droning energy to it, finally ending with the nine minute long closer, 'Höhenluft' that features a great build-up into industrial clanging, this last one got better and better as it went along.

I have listened to enough Vlimmer by now to know it is unlikely for him to put out anything subpar. He has a knack for making really great sounding music, and here is no exception. An emotive half hour of goth gloom, blending the singing and the music to great effect.

SCORE:

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