Search - Schneider Tm :: Moist

If Aphex Twin taught us one thing it's that electronic pop's playfulness is most potent when it's to the point. Schneider TM, the nom du hard drive of Dirk Dresselhaus, has learned this lesson well; half of the tunes on Moist terminate before the five-minute mark, on each track he clearly expresses just one musical idea rather than throw in the kitchen sink, and he always finds room to indulge a sense of humor. But Dresselhaus remains his own man. His drum programs are much less hyperactive and more backbeat-oriented than those of the Twin. On the title tune and "Starfuck" he manages to invest overdriven noise with an almost nostalgic poignancy. And he does know how to stretch a piece out when it merits the treatment. The delightfully driving "Raum in Ort" lasts eight-and-a-half minutes, and gains even more authority when it's put on Repeat and just let go. --Bill Meyer