Ellen Allien - "Thrills"

I think "Thrills" is a natural progression from "Berlinette" - it still combines that melodic electro-pop sensibility with the German house dance aesthetic.

I'm warming up to Thrills, but it doesn't have the vital element that Berlinette has. I am coming back to it quite often, so I'm hoping it's a slow grower.

Although, I don't feel the same way myself. It was worthwhile reading. But I'm hardly surprised they haven't found much to like in her latest direction *at all* (come on, it's Pitchfork! They love real songs & real music & 'meaning' and above all boring-as-fuck indie rockers 4eva

... It is something of a shame when the previous Allien reviews have been excellent. I'm wondering if Stylus is waiting till the US release (but they gave 'Berlinette' only faint praise if I recall).

I'll admit that this, and the Isolée review earlier this week were the motivation for my comments here - Pitchfork: Classic or Dud?

I'm almost tempted to start a MU v.s Ellen Allien thread sometimes, the comparison comes up so often I even ended up getting a copy of Afro Finger & Gel (and getting burned! sorry, they're entertaining at best, over-wacky & close to dull at the worst, but at no point 'riotous' as I had been sorely misled to believe).

Yes, he makes it pretty clear why he didn't like it as much as Berlinette, but his reasons seem pretty wrong-headed: like not liking a chocolate cake because it's not cherry pie. I hate to bring up the dreaded "r" word (hint: it ends in -ism) but that comes through pretty loud & clear in that review.

Anyway the guy sounds like an idiot writing stuff like this:

"..the fabulously titled 'Ghost Train', which I would respect on name alone..."

This rubs me the wrong way, although there's some truth to it:
..surely to land itself on Fabriclive 30 between some Melchior throwback and a Senor Coconut track, remixed by Crazy Remixer Dude Nobody Actually Cares About. I guess there's merit there, but I'm not smiling; not dancing either.
Look, a vague generalization that is careful to snipe at past mixes with pointed accusations that create a landscape of eye rolling! Yes, Akufen included a Senor Coconut song. Yes, the throwback critique is used in reference to a lot of token inclusions.

This entire "dude nobody actually cares about" crap is awful in that it directly links the idea of cred into this whole ordeal. I swear that there's the implication that either: a.) stupid techno fans think you aren't cool if you don't know who crazyremixer is, how lame, b.) I am too busy to care about some song when I have no idea who mixed it.
Fuck that noise, really. You're a grown man reviewing music that's "faceless," just critique whether the song is good and whether it fits in. And do it on a review of an actual mix, not as a vague allusion on some hackjob against someone with a recognizable name.

The space-and-size issues still seem to me like the main thing the album has to offer. I suppose I'm with people like Nick in thinking that more sculpted movement would make it a better record, and I suppose I'm with people like Nick in thinking that the way Berlinette took on the "roles" of different genres at once was a more interesting or useful or exciting thing to do than this. But I'm down with Thrills, mostly.

unless he has inside info ("Ellen was busy listening to the latest Kompakt comp, stealing ideas! Apparat wrote the whole thing!"), that leap of logic seems baseless.

She's also set to appear on two tracks on fellow Berliner T. Raumschmiere's new album, Blitzkrieg Pop, due August 23 on Mute and is working on a 12" for Ghostly International, which should be out by the end of the year. Guess I'll be buying the T. Raumschmiere album after all then.

Also, wanted to add... with a bit of poking around, you can get a better quality (better than a realplayer stream) version of the Sónar set (also mentioned on Pfork) from her website btw. I didn't realise that's what it was until now actually! Sort of makes more sense now, how long did she play for after this? Was anyone at this? And what the hell is that track 45 mins in which is like deadly, precisely controlled acid-303 stabs + vicious military drumming?? *swoon*. I really should just make a fan page instead of bumping this thread again shouldn't I? Sorry :-( (although if anyone has answers to those questions, do say!).

I've heard her play things in a similar vein before, layering really active/pure acid lines over different, busy, breakbeat tracks... It's perhaps not anything super-original(?), but it stood out enough when I heard it before that it seemed like it.

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ellen+Allien

!

There's 3 12" e.p.'s and a debut album 'Stadtkind' (plus many remixes, later collected on 'Remix Collection') before 'Berlinette' :-O

In fact 'Thrills' rather reminds me of a more fleshed-out, extended return (unfinished business?) to the sound of the pre-Stadtkind stuff (including 'Dresden', which I mentioned upthread), that of it which I've heard anyway*, no glitches, expression coming mainly from very soft & simple basic loops.

Even I'll admit to having conflicting feelings about how far I'd like her to experiment with this kind of style though. If her records are going to be seen as just dancefloor material... I think she's capable of taking things so much further, when she feels like doing so.

*If anyone _has_ those early records, I'm very curious to give them a listen (not assuming they'll be great or anything obv) - gmail me!.

Basically my take (and Gear!'s I presume) on this 'controversy' is that there's easily enough material out there already that stands up next to anything off "Berlinette" (and could actually have slotted in there without being out of place) to credit the sound and purpose of that album to either producer (Apparat or SmashTV) in it's entirety.

For fans of the previous Ellen Allien sound, there is this to look forward to (assuming it will sound like that of course).

Ellen: I will see what happens. But what is concrete is that Apparat (Shitkatapult) and I are producing an album together. We share lines of a track—he and I add something to the track—it's like a puzzle. That's exiting, because I will not know how the track will be finished. He's an amazing producer. Watch out!
(http://www.regenmag.com/index.php?module=subjects&func=viewpage&pageid=180&pageno=2)

I think I meant (upthread) I have conflicting feelings about how far I want her to continue with the "Thrills" sound, I do want her to 'experiment'. Just because she sounds comfortable & confident on this one, doesn't mean it will be the direction she continues in forever I don't think.

Video for "Down" - http://www.mtv.de/media/artist/ellen_allien/ellen_allien_down.ram

Title: Sonar Presents Ellen Allien
Published: 14 June 2005
Duration: 1:18:53
Website: www.bpitchcontrol.de

Track Listing:

1. Darkfarmer - Zion - Swayzak Records
2. Hendrik Luuk - Vikat Voei Leib - Airbag Craftwork
3. Ellen Allien - Your Body is my Body - BPitch Control
4. Monoiake - Invisible - Monoiake Imbalance
5. G-Man - Graphite - Elektronixs Network
6. Donato Dozzy and Brando Lupi - Eskimo 2 - Electronicarma
7. Modeler - Mint Condition - Dubsided
8. Ben Klock - Track B2 - Memo
9. Playtracks - A2 - Electric Input
10. Stefan Manceay and Jo Flash - Twisted Area- Starbaby Records
11. Syncomdata - Denhaag - Bunker Records
12. Like a Tim - Like 6 - Like Rec
13. 3st Vs Dash - You can bomb me in 5 minutes - Rampe
14. Audio Werner - Zwrtshak Drive - Hartchef Records
15. Monolake - Axis - Monolake Imbalance
16. Sascha Funke - Boy - BPitch Control
17. Ellen Allien - Cloudy City - BPitch Control
18. Paul Kalkbrenner - Tatu Tata - BPitch Control

p.s. now I feel double bad about calling attention to yr review of said record. I don't want to call you a dick (see other thread) 'cos I don't think you are :<

I thought someone might want to see that vid though (just found it online now) like, vinyl buying people maybe. Anyhow, thanks for finding that tracklist david day.

There are a couple of nice things in the second half. e.g. "Ghost Train" and "She Is With Me".

Will try and find a way of d/ling that Sonar set.