1

Pole

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 23, 1999)
• Original Release Date: February 23, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B00000GBR4
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #222,719 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Shy Berliner Stefan Betke has concocted a strikingly sui generis sound around the crackle of a broken Pole-Waldorff filter and disruptive digitized static compressed and set atop bobbing bass lines like clumps of powder afloat in a boundless sea of echo. Betke's music is bonded by gorgeous analogue melodies; light, rattling dance beats; and dub-style undercurrents. This last element is the key to Pole, as Betke approximates the buoyant, bouncy feel of classic dub with digital effects very different from the studio trickery associated with dub's Jamaican progenitors. Only vinyl, where the filter static can be indistinguishable from the subtle disruptions wrought by dust and surface scuffs, does justice to Pole's ingenuity. The original joke is somewhat lost on CD, since those crackles seem like less of an aberration than, say, Oval's terminal glitches. But CD 1 is still vital in any format, Pole's digi-dub a singular and magnificent herald of things to come. --Gil Gershman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moody, relaxing dub with a twist, November 13, 2000

By A Customer

I have to admit that when I first tried this album at a record store, I did not like it. See, this is not hurried music, and it takes a good listen to understand what Pole is doing. Once I was able to sample it online, then buy a copy and immerse myself in it at home, I realized that this is excellent music.

The first thing you will notice about this album is the "static." Pole's innovative use of a broken filter produces a noise that keeps each track sharp, with fluttery pops and clicks peppered on top of the dub style rhythms. Then you will hear the underlying dub beats that give a solid foundation to what would otherwise be purely experimental sounds. The album is deeply relaxing because of the bass melodies that center on a calm but lively tempo.

If you want some smart electronic music that can be used equally well for serene background music or deep listening, then Pole will not disappoint.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars dripping water upside down dub, January 11, 2002

By	JD (Tokyo Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pole 1 (Vinyl)

Just picked up this disc. As a dub fiend I was intrigued by the description on the cover of the cd.
"CD1 reverses the dimensions of dub by submerging the rythms and allowing his static 'n' hiss to take the lead... The spectral dub emanating from Pole is a giant leap forward for reggae's impurists." -Mixmag
I guess that and have heard Pole's remix of Fauna Flash's "Tel Aviv" track on Compost 100, I like Fauna Flash a lot, gave me the ok to pick up this disc. At first I was like what did I buy? After a while it became very medative, and now I dig it. It is a bit out there but I recommend it. It sounds like a soundtrack to a futuristic abstract space thriller with an elusive plot. If you like this try to get Koss on the fledgling sound of speed label. I dont know how available that one is, I picked it up in Tokyo last spring.
Have Fun and Space Out in a serious way!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it's like exploring a new world, June 7, 2000

By	I Smith (NYC) - See all my reviews

The legend behind the sparse, crackly minimalism of Stefan Betke's music as Pole is that one day, he dropped his Waldorf 4 Pole filter, and caused it to create unintentional noise. However, it turned out to be the "sound he was looking for."

Pole's CD1 (or LP1 if you've got the vinyl) is intentionally influenced by Jamaican dub. Yet Pole is unlike any dub, or any music at all, that you've ever heard. Pole creates extremely stark, extremely soothing music built around two important elements. One is the bass, where the dub influence is most apparent. These are beautiful low tones that Lee Perry would be proud of. Two is rhythms based on static (created by his defective filter). There are no drums. Though there are various other musics and sounds that, like dub, come in and out of the mix, it is the combination of the bass and static that give Pole such a unique and relaxing feel.

Though one can classify Pole as minimal, Pole is unlike much minimalist electronic music in that he sets a very enticing, dark mood, and forces it to hold your attention for the entire length of the album. Even though this album can be listened to as background music, subconsciously your mind is aware of Pole, and it affects you. Songs flow into each other, making the 9 tracks feel like one metamorphizing unit. 'Flagen,' the busiest song, is the best example of his static-based rhythms; my personal favorite is the haunting 'Paula.'

Though one could argue that all these songs sound the same, no one could argue that they sound like anyone else. Influenced by dub, Pole merely uses it as a platform, an idea to meld with his own music. While his second release, CD2, has more rhythms akin to traditional dub and therefore may be more accessible, CD1 is world you've never explored. And you should.