3

Pole | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 20, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B00004TD3G
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,238 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #24 in Music > Indie Music > Dance & DJ > IDM

Track Listings

1. Silberfisch

2. Taxi

3. Karussell

4. Überfahrt

5. Rondell Zwei

6. Klettern

7. Strand

8. Fohlenfurz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An obvious progression, July 4, 2000

By 

Matthew D. Mercer (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 3 (Audio CD)

Stefan Betke made quite a stir when his first Pole album (blue cover, titled "CD1") hit the streets. Suddenly every publication from The Wire to Spin was raving about his fresh approach to abstract electronic music. When examining all three of Pole's releases, there is an obvious progression from the first to the newest. Regardless of whether it is a result of being absorbed in his malfunctioning technology the first goround, or whether it was a reservation to allow his influences to run free, we're all glad that Betke began to incorporate the dub influence more obviously that he hinted at so quietly on the debut. 3 finds these influences cropping up even more often than on its predecessor. As an album, it offers little new other than this more immediate dub slant, as it continues the tradition of crackly, beatless experiments in audio. However, fans will not be disappointed, and for newcomers this is as good a place as any to begin.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pole 3, June 15, 2001

By 

Patrick Burke "Composer, Photographer" (TIGARD, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 3 (Audio CD)

Hats off to Stefan Betke for Pole 3, the first CD I've heard in years that I had to listen to for days on end after I bought it. What I really like about this music is its warmth. It feels like sitting inside one's living room on a rainy Sunday morning with a fire in the fireplace and a book you can't put down.

This music is calming and intriguing at the same time. The use of scratches and pops is so on the mark. The overall tonality and the interesting bass lines contribute to the muted beauty of the work while the higher end sounds eliminate any chance of it becoming monotonous.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A surprise, January 25, 2002

By 

Roger Fingas (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 3 (Audio CD)

Pole is sometimes lumped in with "glitch" IDM, but with the 3 release at least, that's a mistake. It's better to think of Pole as minimalist dub inspired by glitch - almost a laid-back version of Monolake. At its best Pole is excellent chill music, catchy and even somewhat danceable. Certainly not what I was expecting when I first bought the album (Pole being a German musician, Stefan Betke).

In its less interesting moments though it can sound dull and repetitive, which is why I've given this album a four-star rating. Regardless I think the positives outweigh the negatives here, as long as you're open-minded about electronic music and willing to enjoy the background crackling and warbling - or put up with it, perhaps. Listen to samples and decide for yourself.