As part owners of Innervisions, Âme‘s musical taste is irrevocably ingrained in the DNA of the Berlin-based imprint. Alongside co-owner Dixon, Âme’s Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedemann have taken great care to craft their label’s aesthetic. For these three, that comes with a degree of meticulous consistency that extends from the packaging to the music itself. A similar approach is taken when it comes to Âme, as Beyer and Wiedemann keep their output to a scant one or two releases each year; in short, they’re not the kinds of producers who slouch on craftsmanship, a fact that is readily backed up by both entries on the duo’s new Tatischeff EP.
The title track bears all the markings of an Âme production, and an Innervisions record for that matter. Beyer and Wiedemann, who often incorporate a subtle African influence, lead with a glowing marimba line and forceful kick. Paced out as the track is, it’s almost hard to notice the quiet addition of static hi-hat hits and the creeping staccato synth chatter that rises within “Tatischeff” alongside its pensive flute melody. It’s as if every stem within the track is there to contribute to the rising swell of its encompassing, deep groove. The song’s machine atmospherics eventually take over and reveal a second movement, a swarm of digitized textures that reminds the listener of Âme’s long-held reverence for Detroit.
“Den Råtta” makes a more unrestrained entry than its predecessor. With a techier pulse and a smattering of hard-edged guttural coughs, the track quickly unfolds to include all manner of dissonant components, from the distorted trill of analog bass to the bellow of a baritone horn blast. Pleasingly unsettling in a way only this style of deep techno can be, the track plateaus fleetingly with the haunting coos of vocalist Vulkano before the composition is stripped back down to its base components.
On the whole, the Tatischeff EP is more understated than the soulful treatment that helped propel Frank Wiedemann’s “Howling” to acclaim last year or helped give “Rej” its now classic status. Despite that, each offering here is no less of a sophisticated outing from Beyer and Wiedemann, or the label mothership that they are helping to pilot.
