Pole

Simply riveting. I remember listening to the first track and feeling like this was like techno music the had traveled through time to get to me and thus the little glitches and pops were the signs of its travel through time.

This is a very nice piece of contemporary music that is enjoyable to listen to. The pops and glitches are interesting in their own right, sort of like a possible chilled out autechre meets eno. It is a pity the CD is hard to get: it is one of the better examples of this kind of music.

For an artist, the greatest achievement can simply be not being labeled in any specific category. Pole, a.k.a. Stefan Betke, has managed to do just that with his self-titled release on Mute records. A combination of two EP's on Mute, Pole flows with thick beats and mechanical soul throughout the disc. And who would ever expect someone like Fat Jon from the Five Deez, an amazing producer by his own right, to drop lyrics on several of the tracks?! There are elements here that will leave UK dub producers nodding their heads in approval, while gaining respects from techno and hip-hop lovers as well. Music at times is meant to be challenging. This is one of those times, so take advantage of this opportunity. Damn, it's nice to get thrown for a loop once in a while, isn't it?

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." -MixmagI 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!

A couple years ago...around 2K, I borrowed this 2X12" vinyl off a friend. Was listening to it and being blown away at the utter newness of these sounds. I found myself sitting in my living room listening to the recordings and my ears were dancing at every click and cut sound coming through the speakers with that deep dubby bass.I don't know how many people have this on vinyl, but if you do I suggest as an experiment in sound, to put the vinyl on and instead of using the 33 speed, go for the 45 speed. It makes for a whole new experience. Sounds almost more driving and danceable. Give it a try.

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.

Being a bit of an Oval fan, I was keen to dip the toe in the Pole waters. This is an amazingly funky little click/cut/pop/glitch album. The warm and charming minimalism is a welcome change from some of the more 'middle of the road' glitch style, but it often also has a bit of a 'tongue-in-cheek' approach - tracks 7 to 9 'Fremd', 'Paula' and 'Fliegen' are good examples of this.This is a great little album to have on in the background, but equally deserves an attentive listen. Like the track 'Do While' on Oval's '94 Diskont' (a current fave CD), these 9 tracks don't waste a moment of their duration. From go to whoa, this is a winner! A must in every 'weird electronica' collection.

Opens with layers of record crackle until a deeply stoned, brain-dead excuse for a bassline creeps in and loops for about five minutes. Subsequent tracks explore variations on the techno-dub equation outlined by Basic Channel, and, yes, there is variety. Mostly made up of junk bits of digital sound and submerged in static, Pole makes music that is barely there and yet MUST BE HEARD TO BE BELIEVED. The true Kingston-Berlin axis. Also check out CD2.