XTR Human
Schrank
WIE EIN GOTT/Negative Gain Productions
While certainly not the polar opposite Berlin’s larger techno-body music scene, the music from the city’s XTR Human project does land closer to the trad body EBM and wave sounds, as evidenced by latest LP Schrank. That’s not to suggest that it’s a neo-old school project either; since becoming a solo endeavour, Johannes Stabel has been steering XTR Human’s work towards song-based electronic compositions that touch on contemporary industrial and European electro amongst other sounds, with broadly appealing results.
That variety and mutability in form is held down by Stabel’s gritty production sensibility and vocals. Opener “Frust” is a minimal but funky arrangement of drums and synths that recalls the millennial sounds of acts like Ascii.Disko, whereas the title track which immediately follow is a high-tempo club cut with stabby, fast-moving programming, but the songs feel of a piece with one another thanks to their warm, rough-and-ready production and their vocals which split the difference between the Teutonic posture of classic NDW, and EBM’s strident chanting. It’s an aesthetic that allows the record to duck in and out of genres effectively, such as the darkwave-touched closer “Letzte Chance”, and the arch techno-body cut “EBM Train” which comes complete with reggaeton horn and a choo-choo rhythm.
If the record has a failing, it’s that there are times where the melody gets subsumed by the emphasis on rhythm and movement. “I Want More” has a solid vocal hook and some chirpy synthlines chasing each other through the mix, but the song’s progression gets lost in its numerous switch ups and breakdowns. Elsewhere, “Neid” never commits to any singular standout melodic element, which ends up making its punchy bassline the focus – not a problem in theory, but its similarity to the later track “Beton” becomes more noticeable as a result. The latter song is a good example of Stabel hitting the balance of musicality and DJ appeal, allowing its simple gated pad room to float above the busy cymbals and fuzzy bassline.
Still, the overall feel of the record is solid, and its focus on keeping tracks distinct and varied lends it a lot of listenability. The material Schrank works both for club play and for home listening, and with plenty of mileage to be had in either venue.
