This split release features two of the most interesting projects around: Monopium, with their crossover between music concrète and improvisation, and K., with their music centered on hypnotic rhythmic structures. For this album, they were inspired by krautrock but Monopium worked on the most experimental side of it while K. on the typical rhythmic structure known as motorik.
The Monopium's side, called Nightclubbing, is opened by "Kraut Rock", a track developed upon field recordings of a crowd, some noises and the typical drumming of the period, so it sounds as a sort of live recording in a club with a sharp channel separation (two noise generators for the two channels and the drum in the middle). While the previous track was mostly noisy, "Nightclubbing" is more meditative and based on samples manipulation of a voice recording which moves upon the stereo field. While "The First Impression" uses a voice samples and his manipulations on the left channel, noises on the right, "The Other" is a noise crescendo based on sinewaves and radio.
The K.'s side is based on another structure: the first track, "Introwolf", is based on an hypnotic melody developed upon single reverberated notes and a peculiar rhythmic structures which seems repetitive but has various skidding. The first part "Steppenwolf" is closer to kosmische musik as it's based on layers of synth until the drums marks the second part of the track where the guitar creates a rock environment. The almost martial beat of "Outrowolf" is the base for atmospheric synth lines which create an impressive sonic spectrum above whom the beat evolve into a completely deconstructed one.
While Monopium confirm themselves as one of the most interesting project around, K. is the surprise of this release which sound as travel though time and a celebration of a landmark period of music. Almost a must for everyone.