TRISTAN FELDBAUER AND ALAN MUELLER

autorama

Tristan Feldbauer Music (2003)

sorry - no album art available at this time

review by Bill Binkelman

Switzerland's Tristan Feldbauer, who last released the fantastic city in 2002, reunites with his friend Alan Mueller (who was also featured on city) for this tasty and excellent follow-up recording. On autorama, you will hear echoes of the warm yet somber chill-out vibe that city was drenched in, but you will also hear a more playful fusion of Euro-synth jazz with elements of chill. For the latter, an appropriate comparison would be to the releases from the duo, Dancing Fantasy, although where the latter concentrated on a California "beach" sound, Feldbauer and Mueller converge on integrating aspects of European electronic music with jazzy riffs and occasional doses of funk. The results are most impressive and the CD instantly lit up my back room with its catchy melodic refrains and infectious (to say the least) beats, both polished to a shiny chromium sheen via superb production values.

"launch control" (the opening track) echoes the moodiness of city's first track, "boone," with its pulsing bass beats and dark sensuous minor-key synths flowing underneath a jazzy Fender Rhodes piano. The rhythm chugs along nicely at a slightly faster pace than the beats were on city, though, and later in the cut, there are blistering electric guitar leads heard deep in the mix (as a sidenote, Feldbauer shows superb judgment in burying the rock-like lead lines in the mix so as to not disturb the "flow" that the track has already established).

When "wilson," the album's second track opens, the other dominant mood of autorama surfaces. High hat, smooth synth strings, and funky bass beats are soon surrounded by swirling organ-like keyboards and a lead whistling synth. If you are familiar with Dancing Fantasy's later work and you don't hear the similarity I was talking about earlier, you're tone deaf! Balancing out the more laid-back songs, the jazzier cuts on autorama are all about having fun, as the latter are generously laced with equal parts synth-driven chill-out, funky uptempo beats, and jazzy riffs played on assorted keys and sampled vibes. Because of the predominance of electronic keyboards, don't be misled that only jazz hounds will dig autorama, although I won't fool you by saying that the CD will instantly appeal to hardcore EM, ambient, or new age lovers. Chill-out fans should find a lot here to enjoy, though.

"talking to leanne" is graced with a Richard Bone-like combination of funky hand percussion, lush keyboards and lounge music sampled vibes, as well as a dash of Berlin-esque textures peppered here and there. The title track once again harkens back to city's more sedate and laid-back blend of dark keyboards with slowed down chill beats, albeit not in a way that Feldbauer has repeated himself in any way whatsoever. "l'alternative électro" swings back to a "happier" sound, although keeping the rhythms slower and somewhat subdued. Heavy bottom bass is balanced by a high-pitched whistling keyboard and what sounds like steel drum samples. Tasty stuff indeed!

Rounding out the album are two more cuts. "let's call it a day," is another laid back moody number, this time with a lazy harmonica melody married to a shuffling trap-set drum beat, (including brush work on the cymbals), both riding on top of an undercurrent of keyboards. "plugged" is the out-and-out funkfest on the CD. This last song totally cooks, folding in tasty electric guitar (once again placed deep enough in the mix to not overpower the song, although more pronounced than earlier) with solid Euro-synths and ass-shakin' toe-tappin' beats. Feldbauer shows his craftiness by placing this song last, not just because it plays well as the last piece, but also because if the higher energy of the track is off-putting to those who prefer what has come before, they can simply end the CD early.

autorama is a first-rate follow-up to city, further developing the earlier album's sound and also striking out in new directions (but not so new as to be jarring or discontinuous). Without liner notes, I can't properly give credit to Feldbauer and Mueller as to who contributed what to this excellent album. From a graphic standpoint, as he displayed on city, Feldbauer offers a unique visual sense of design, again thanks to the moody photography of Friederike Baetcke. I enjoyed autorama as much as city and warmed to it just as fast (which is to say the first time I heard it). Feldbauer and Mueller are highly talented musicians and this recording offers up ample evidence to support that statement. So, get yer groove on and pick up on this CD pronto, as I highly recommend it for a solid good time.