Louderbach: Autumn

Between Louderbach’s Autumn and Urceus Exit’s Compensation for the Sound Of Silence, 2009 is shaping up to be one heck of a year for goth-techno. Why so glum, chums? Well, a member of Urceus Exit reportedly faced the death of a parent recently — the prospect of which has sent many an upstanding gentleman to the bitter depths of his soul. Louderbach, on the other hand, is still pining over the suicide of Ian Curtis some 30 years after the fact.

Louderbach’s debut, Enemy Love was a mostly instrumental affair by Berlin-based producer Troy Pierce and captured Minus owner Richie Hawtin’s attention, thanks to its prime examples of moody German minimal house. The instrumentals on Autumn also continue the Minus tradition. However, between albums, L.A.-based vocalist Gibby Miller was added to the permanent lineup, permanently tainting the Louderbach sound.

Miller is a mediocre vocalist who appeared on a few forgettable tracks from the Louderbach debut and clings to every note of Autumn like a tic with fleas. Sure, his voice comes off like Ian Curtis, but only like Curtis would have if he spoke in a breathy moan instead of singing and emoting. Compounding matters, the instrumentals here do not go anywhere significant, as they must remain simple enough to support the boring and disconnected vocals that blanket every track. It is a losing combination. Suffice to say, if anyone is mildly engaged by Autumn, he or she will be thoroughly engrossed with Urceus Exit’s heartfelt opus of alienation and urban decay.