Review: Third Ear deserves kudos for putting together this massive, 28-track compilation of Thomas Brinkmann's released and rare material. It serves as a reminder that the veteran German producer has been one of the most influential - but sometimes overlooked - names in European house and techno. From the wild cut-ups and rolling snares of disposable "Sur Ace" and the noisy, ebm-style "2 Sun" to the lopsided, melancholy grooves of "Crazy" and "Souls", the scope and range of Retrospektiv is impressive. The compilation also succeeds in providing a reminder that Brinkmann's dance floor credentials are impeccable and the quirky "What You're Doin" and the toy town synths and gentle white noise of "Isch" are as impressive as anything that Akufen produced.
Review: Manuel Gonzalez has put out a diverse range of music, but this release for Third Ear is his most out there venture to date. "Fiber" is little more than a series of pitch-shifting tones, held together in the loosest sense by jarring rhythms, while "Meanwhile" is more subdued, its dubby beats seeing Gonzalez at his most laid back. The other tracks sit at opposing ends of the US producer's sound palette: "Extort" is a grainy banger, its rolling drums and stomping beats sitting somewhere between Omar S and Purposemaker, while "Mask" is a beautiful house groove, its chiming melodies unfolding over a fragile rhythm.
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