Customer Reviews

Filesharing

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

in england two things you would not normally associate germans with are humour and sexiness [hey, it's a national pastime!], especially the latter. but that would be a grave misjudgment because the female half of the duo has the kind of crystal clear, breathy voice that was made for serenading... the music? a slowburning electronica heaven that is gentle and non-aggressive... sort of silje nergaard meets susumu yokota... irregular beats, some wondrous melodies, like "morgen"... filesharing is one of those rare albums, like goldfrapp's felt mountain, that has its own distinctive sound without seeming repetitive or complacent. every track stems from the same source but holds its own fort... me likes... but a word of warning, beautiful as i feel it is, this wont appeal to all tastes... definately worth a try....

Others have already commented on the music.

The disc itself contains a data section with a few (small) pictures, English translation of the lyrics, as well as the samples/clips which comprise the songs, about a dozen for each song. The cute part is that even from an ordinary web browser, if you play a particular clip, it will loop. This means that (w/o even having to fire up music-editing software) you can choose any combo of samples from one particular song, and have each of them looping. Make your own mixes! ... Kinda fun.

...is wrapped into every inch of this amazingly beautiful album. LAUB even beat BJORK to the IDM punch long ago on their equally worthy album "Kopflastig" release which this album smartly resembles. Recommended for all adventurous admirers of electro-etherealism who also appreciated the magical intimacies of an album like BJORK's "Vespertine".....LAUB's "Filesharing" is an instant classic and easily a candidate as one of the best albums released in 2002. A sonic land of wonder and enchantment (even with every song sung in German.....but please don't be so foolish to let that stop you....some music is beyond human language....like this.)

Laub, with FILESHARING, gets much chillier, and consequently, better. The glacial cool of "Mofa" suits Greie-Fuchs' vocals to a tee, and the electronics, far from overpowering her, add to the sense of isolation and spaciousness. "Temporaries" is similarly sparse, a subterreanean rumble, while the melody takes up the sonic space on "Wortspur." "Getriebe" has a tinge of jazz to it, with the rat-a-tat lyrics and only a low chord to offset them, until a slow, majestic build starts halfway through. "Fadenseiden," on the other hand, has a slight menace to it, one that isn't abated by the saxophone that wanders its way in. The final track, "Unbeholfen" lets in some sparse breaks but still remains meditative. This is an album you'll want to keep transmitting!

what does laub sound like: it's like the star trek female computer voice meets aphex twin. every sound is there for a reason - nothing left out, nothing extra. the vocals are deliberately subdued with a cool delivery and a smart sense of humor. i can listen to it over and over all day..

Here's a formula... Make a couple software based synthesizer loops, sing over them, and make money! I really wanted to like this album, but this is too trendy for it's own good. Music should be enjoyable, or at least, you should be able to appricate what the artist(s) have tried to achieve. Here, it just seems like not much work was put into the songs. AGF sings beautifully but her great vocals just seem flat underneath the minimal electronic music. Not worth your money.