Explosion

Modernist | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 18, 2000)
• Original Release Date: April 18, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B00004RJ5H
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #541,914 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Victor Ludorum (The Winner Takes It All)

2. Fade Like Glenn

3. Header

4. Inspiratio

5. Alphatier Brian [Live Update]

6. Manson Soup

7. Mrs. New Deal

8. Eurojah [Immigrant Dub]

9. Global Entertainment

10. Face Working [Original Version]

11. Love Among European Moderns

12. Architainment, Pt. 1

13. Channel 28

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

There are no real jolts on this debut full-length by Jörg Burger a.k.a. The Modernist; Explosion is all steady pulse and flow. A limited timbral palette contributes to the disc's only slightly varying vibe. House inflects a number of the tracks, and trace elements of dub and R&B can be found. "Channel 28" subtly stands out for a couple of reasons: its sensuous swing and its atmospheric, beatfree intro and outro. Vocal chatter and guitar parts make an appearance on "Manson Soup," which nevertheless fits right into the album's general tone of low-key restraint. Despite all the soothing, hypnotic grooves, the disc does have a wound-up quality. Explosion, like so much minimal techno, throbs with self-contained tension. It's the sound of music that never quite provides a sense of release. Fred Cisterna

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Music as soundtrack for living, June 5, 2000

By 

Richard Diaz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Explosion (Audio CD)

99% of the music out there wants you to dance, or move, or feel. Some provide energy, others imagery, the more experimental of the lot require your complete attention. Then there are releases like Jorg Burger a.k.a. The Modernist, and his new album, jokingly titled Explosion. It offers a minimal but lively soundtrack for going about your daily routine: doing your chores, cleaning the house, or working in the office.

Which is not to say the thirteen tracks here are bland. There's a good dose of melody and texture through the (mostly identical) songs, but The Modernist is just not interested in disrupting your business by offering catchy hooks. Try as you might, after any two songs you'll be moving your head but reaching for a magazine.

Reviewing the tracks separately is futile, as they are slight variations of each other. All have repetitious, friendly beats, rely on deep keyboard loops, and a sprinkle of catchy sounds. "Header" has a nice crystalline layer on top, "Alphatier Brian" a darker bassline, and "Manson Soup" an acoustic guitar and crowd murmur- serving notice the disc's halfway through more than anything else. At thirteen songs the album goes long, but nothing here is disagreeable or makes you reach for the skip button.

Oddly enough, most songs end abruptly; perhaps Burger realized than a continuous mix would blur out the already tenuous line of originality between them. He's content to offer a comforting layer of repetitious, minimal house music for busy listeners. Your tasks now completed a bit faster, you can pop in something else and have some fun.