Jan Jelinek’s debut LP under his government name (Personal_Rock, his 1999 full-length as Gramm, is also worth seeking out) is constructed entirely out of samples from old jazz records. While most might take that mission statement as an excuse to make loopy filter house, Jelinek’s metallurgic approach extracts grooves at a molecular level and reconstructs them; properly stripped-down techno in finest 2001 style. It’s an idealistic departure from the prevailing minimal techno sound of the new millennium, borne from the banality and existential pointlessness of Clicks & Cuts-style electronic music. We love Jelinek's Dieter Rams-esque doctrine: “Loop-finding-jazz-records follows one certain production idea. This probably made it successful. All the pieces are like well-designed objects: no random, accidental moments, all focused on a harmony. This makes it enjoyable as functional music—music to work to, write emails to, etc.” Towards the end of “Moire - Piano & Organ,” you can almost make out the transients of a vibraphone ringing out, before “Rock In The Video Age” washes up on the shore and you lose the plot entirely. “Tendency” is the lone joint I could see slipping into an afterhours set, but the rest of it is pure headphone business for planes, trains & automobiles - in the best possible way, like a faceless / wordless Vespertine. “Drift,” “They, Them” and “Do Dekor” are delectably crunchy microhouse snacks, but best to listen from start to finish. 2017 2LP reissue on Jelinek’s own Faitiche imprint, includes download code. Recommended.

• black double vinyl pressing
• originally released in 2001
• digital download included
• music label: Faitiche 2017

reviewed by winston wolf 02/2019