Stefan Goldmann

17:50 Stefan Goldmann

The new album by techno’s most restlessly inventive artist: Pitch bending shaped 17:50’s weirdly alien, yet extremely catchy melodies and bass lines - rough analog drums and distortion hardware bring new sonic pleasures to innovative dance floors. Anti slickness. Pro pitch bend. A world out of tune. De-tuning notes has been central to house and techno since the early days in Chicago. Stefan Goldmann’s “17:50? is where this bitter-sweet sound turns systematic: the whole Western harmonic standard is thrown overboard and replaced by pitch systems that yield beautifully alien yet incredibly catchy melodies, bass lines and chords. It is probably the first new melodic concept to enter house music since the days of acid. In a field of music whose innovations seemed to have come to an end, pitch bending opens up radically fresh possibilities. Tones never stand still but are bent and re-tuned for maximum expression. As a result even the most simple melodies sound exotically new and intriguing. Warm synths, analog drum machines and loads of dirty distortion shape the album’s sound. “17:50? is as much about pitch going crazy as about celebrating a rough, vivid hardware sound. Bend the pitch and the mind will follow. Pitch bending in one sentence: “If you don’t add something to a note, it dies.” (Miles Davis) Tracklisting 2x12?: A1 17:50 A2 Carrion Crow A3 Rigid Chain B1 The Outness Queens B2 Manila Grind C1 Adem C2 Dead Cat Bounce D1 Empty Suit D2 Kampong Pressure