TELLBACH: Tellbach (CD 2018)

CD in DigiPak (2018)

Some might know him as the man behind the mask of Art Abscon. Now he took off the mask to literally turn his back on us and call himself Tellbach. While Art Abscon boasted that he had played 36 different instruments on his last album, Tellbach is more modest. His music is purely electronic and focuses on the essential – the sound. Tellbach not only turns his back on us, but also on the digital world of today. He is inspired by the past: analogue synthesizers instead of computers, mechanical spring reverb instead of plugins, and magnetic tape instead of hard drives. He says that he wants to celebrate the golden era of electronic music, the 1970s and the early 80s, and mentions names like Mort Garson, Suicide, Kraftwerk, John Foxx and early OMD. The songs on the debut album “Tellbach” are almost poppy, and yet they are definitely underground. The music may be marked by a matter-of-fact minimalism, but the sonorous and melodious baritone of the voice that we already know from Art Abscon sometimes adds a little bit of sentimental pop appeal. And as with Art Abscon, we are often surprised by the broad range of atmospheres and impressions. The lyrics are German, too – poetic and unique. It is an album for everyone who likes the music of the 80s but does not care for retro trends.

CD in DigiPak.