★★★☆☆
In granting electronica carte blanche and giving freedom to a techno essence, Siriusmo’s avoidance of the abstract stays up for pushing the boundaries as well as his luck. Thirteen tracks aren’t joined at the hip — some are several cousins removed — but work as a loosely-bound team. The German’s maverick make-up balks at becoming a mad professor — though perfectionist and tinkerer are both applicable after the follow-up to Mosaik underwent numerous modifications – in exchange for changing lanes from the slow hard shoulder to the autobahn’s fastest route.
It’s party-hardy, emphasised by a Q-Tip soundalike anchoring “Plastic Hips” and “Congratulator” starring as the kind of disco dazzle you wish Daft Punk had recently committed more to, showing that the album’s title wasn’t happened upon by chance. “Rantanplant” is like grainy vaudeville techno, between cheeky and giving you the evil eye as it loosens a few screws, with “Leftovers” equally as capricious but with a sense of pride about it.
“Tränen Aus Bier”, on some slumped, Dilla-esque head-dunking, is one wrench to the left Moritz Friedrich is comfortable committing to as a total odd-jobs man. He proceeds to go after more sterile electro pop-ups on “Itchy” and jazzy floor show solos that turn the spotlight on “Liu.” Reputation escalating as one-man band, clarity is still needed as to whether he’s a versatile music lover or running Enthusiast up the flagpole.
File under: Modeselektor, Boys Noize, Michael Fakesch