irmin-schmidt-and-bruno-spoerri-two-dolphins-go-dancing

Irmin Schmidt and Bruno Spoerri – “Two Dolphins Go Dancing” (Singles Going Steady)

"Two Dolphins Go Dancing" is a track from the upcoming career anthology of avant-garde composer Irmin Schmidt entitled Electro Violet that releases on 4 December via Mute Records.

Ryan Dieringer: It seems more than timely for Mute to be revisiting Irmin Schmidt’s post-Can work right now. And not just because he was basically the mold for Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character in Frank. Aphex Twin’s latest pair of records really brought this kind of ceaselessly analog, audiophile music back into the fray, and it feels great to keep digging in this direction. Mute has had a lot of recent success with producers like Arca who are definitely carrying this torch. Schmidt’s such an important figure, who was instrumental in bridging early experimental music and club music. The analog synths and industrial percussion on this Bruno Spoerri stuff wear his Stockhausen pedigree well and the remasters make it all super audible. And I am feeling the dry saxophone. Psyched for the reissue. [7/10]

Timothy Gabriele: After technology and musical adventurism caught up to the Krautrockers, most of them did not feel inclined to respond, instead preferring to view themselves as singularities. There’s some great moments in the solo catalogues to the Can folks that, if carefully assembled, could make the case that this was the correct path, that their legacy wrought an alternate history away from the Fall, This Heat, Rhythm Is Rhythm, Massive Attack, Seefeel, Animal Collective, Holly Herndon. There’s also plenty in those discographies like this number, which sounds dated and at a loss for ideas. Rather than court favor for synthesizers, this fairly dull plodding tune from the 1981 LP Toy Planet actually makes a good argument for the sax, which nearly rescues the tune from its own indulgence. Still, it’s probably worth a peak at the compilation this is plucked from to see if there’s traces of that parallax timeline out there. [3/10]

Dustin Ragucos: What’s loveable about this is how the synth feels like it’s from a very early Windows OS, yet it doesn’t feel taken from a modern internet sensibility so in touch with memes or vaporwave. This feels like what something sounding Electro Violet would be like. It’s a sonic floater that’s tangible to the ears, not the eyes. [6/10]

COMBO SCORE: 5.33

FROM THE POPMATTERS ARCHIVES