Jazzanova and Dirk Rumpff: Broadcasting From Offtrack Radio

As its title indicates, Jazzanova and Dirk Rumpff’s mix Broadcasting From OFFtrack Radio is a tribute to the power of radio. The German DJ collective Jazzanova, themselves well-accustomed to radio as a medium, chose Rumpff to collaborate on this, their second Broadcasting release, out of love for his Internet radio program OFFtrack. The CD is meant to emulate a radio program, in a way, and one focused mostly on exclusive tracks. The sleek, atmospheric dance music which begins the set, from the likes of State River Widening and Rumpff’s own group Season, is less exciting than I expected, with little of that pure mystery of hearing strange new music over the airwaves. Instead, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for generic lifestyle music, engineered for fashion shows or mall-shopping. As the CD proceeds, a hip-hop side appears and adds a bit more spark, slightly breaking through the cloud of innocuousness. Still, Broadcasting is ultimately less about showcasing any particular artist than about getting one basic sound across, casting a calm, stylish mood out from the speakers.