Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC, Neue Meister 885470007007 (supplied by www.highresaudio.com)

The cover bears the name of pianist/synth player Motschmann alone, but here he’s joined by Boris Bolles on more synths and violins, and percussionist David Panzl, with Bolles also recording and mixing the album. The opening is all very ‘Berlin’, hitting you with a burst of white noise sufficient to convince you that your digital playback has gone skew-whiff, then continues into washes of electronica. However, by the second track, ‘Parhelia’, we’re into a juddering, compelling rhythm, echoed in ‘Flow Expansion’, and on we go – a foot-tapping bass line here, a swirly wash of synthefication there, sometime meditative, sometimes jarringly atonal. The sound is certainly powerful when it needs to be, with some evil bass in there, and clean even when it’s pushing hard, meaning the album rewards at least a second listen. But beyond that, I’m not too sure… AE

Sound Quality: 85%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

Despite including some low-rate samples (about 8kHz) and utilising the likes of Yamaha’s CP-70 ‘Electric Grand’ analogue synthesiser, the tracks are mixed and mastered at the 96kHz/24-bit illustrated here. Old meets new digital! PM