Ellen Allien - "Thrills"

brilliantly otm.

Ronan, how do you find Thrills more IDM-y than Berlinette? It seems like a much more straightforwardly dance album to me, whereas Berlinette veered from maximalist bangers to glitchy experiments which could never have been meant for the dancefloor (or, fandango otm).

http://s11.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1TTA49BNJK1XP2QJEUHCQ4Z8TH

Has anyone (non-promo/press/DJ people) been able to get the single yet? I'm not sure if it isn't really out, or just sold out right now. Some of the catalouge is. Frustrating because I was going to order a few other 12"s at the same time (don't know if it makes any difference to the postage cost).

obligatory mailout with small bit of news

OUT NOW
ELLEN ALLIEN – „MAGMA“ (BPC 105)
NEW SINGLE INCL. REMIXES BY THE MFA & MODESELEKTOR

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

COMING SOON
ELLEN ALLIEN – „THRILLS“ (BPC106LP/CD)
NEW ALBUM INCL. BONUS VIDEO „DOWN“

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

„THRILLS“ RECORD RELEASE PARTY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH DESIGNMAI-YOUNGSTERS

ELLEN ALLIEN
JENNIFER CARDINI
THE MFA (LIVE)
LIKE A TIM (LIVE)
MDSLKTR DJ TEAM

MAY 15TH 2005, 11PM

WMF @ KUNSTFABRIK
AM FLUTGRABEN 3
12435 BERLIN

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ELLEN ALLIEN / THRILLS TOUR

APRIL 22ND 2005 / GB / LONDON / THE POKE
APRIL 23RD 2005 / GB / CAMBER SANDS / ALL TOMORROW PARTIES
APRIL 29TH 2005 / DE / REGENSBURG / SUITE 15
APRIL 30TH / CH / GENEVA / WEETAMIX

MAY 7TH 2005 / ES / FRAGA / FLORIDA 135
MAY 13TH 2005 / DE / STUTTGART / M1
MAY 14TH 2005 / NL / EINDHOVEN / DE STRIJP / ELECTRONOVA
MAY 15TH 2005 / DE / BERLIN / WMF @ KUNSTFABRIK
MAY 20TH 2005 / FR / AIX EN PROVENCE / CLUB 88
MAY 21ST 2005 / FR / NANTES / OLYMPIC
MAY 25TH 2005 / DE / NUERNBERG / HIRSCH
MAY 27TH 2005 / IT / TURIN / BEACHCLUB / XPLOSIVA
MAY 28 TH 2005 / FR / PARIS / REX

JUNE 3RD 2005 / CH / ZÜRICH / TONHALLE
JUNE 4TH 2005 / GB / LONDON / KOKO / EAT YOUR OWN EARS
JUNE 18TH 2005 / ES / BARCELONA / SONAR
JUNE 23RD 2005 / DE / MÜNCHEN / HARRY KLEIN
JUNE 24TH 2005 / GB / GLASTONBURY / FESTIVAL (fuck fuck no ticket fuck fucks).

I'm assuming that's what blackmail.is.my.life is listening to?

I was fairly tempted to fork out for one that got offered on ebay recently... but the thought of it having copy-bleeps on, and possibly not having the vid make me not bother. That and it's not SO long to wait now for a real copy.

i listened to this on a brief walk and have to say that it's a lot of fun. i'm guessing something will happen with this and a few other things at the stypod in the near future.

xpost - which German techno albums is Berlinette blander than? (or, request for suggestions plz) Genuinely curious. It hooked me from the word go for literally months and well, I like it and rate it more than I want to say (out of fear of ridicule mostly). I'll see how I feel about it in five years time :-)

xxpost - don't sleep on Stadtkind, all her mix cd's are pretty exceptional, weiss.mix maybe having a slight over the others for badass-ness.

second thoughts: "a million other German techno albums" maybe only like 10-20 suggestions! I seem to buy a few already and a million would surely bankrupt me for good ;-)

OK, I exaggerated a bit :) ... but I thought that "Berlinette" tried to cover "minimalism" + "playful melodies", much in the same vein as The Modernist (actually, like most of Jorg Burger's work), Jurgen Paape, and Salz. "Berlinette" is half of a good album but it just didn't hook me for 50 minutes.

*eyes cheapish Modernist album suspiciously* I do NOT need more German electronic music this month >_< This stuff is like crack.

Also a free CD ... but it's boring as hell, despite a trendy label selection [wave music, rz, get physical, kailash, traum, mood music, mental groove, 2020 vision, sexonwax, more music, superfred].

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..."