['ramp] - Looking Back in Anger - a decade of misfits

3.5

Release data:

[‘ramp] Looking Back in Anger – a decade of misfits
CD, Doombient, 2006

The Doombient-release “Looking Back in Anger” is 78-minute retrospective compilation by the duo Stephen Parsick and Frank Makowski.
It provides an overview of nine rare or elsewhere unreleased tracks spanning the first decade of [´ramp]´s work, which saw them collaborate with e.g. Stefan Kraft, Martina Beine, Jens Peschke, Lambert Ringlage and Marcus Reuter.

Things are kicked-off by the sequencer & (cheap) drum driven “The Warsaw Disaster”, which reveales the influence of TD, but most of all this piece sparkles due to the joy these musicians must have had putting this track together. Sure it’s all vintage that rules on this disc, when one digs the fine retro choirs and textures scattered all over the album at featured on the second track „Sakrileg am Mittag“.

Unfortunately, things get too weird and experimental for me on „Generatorenkonflikte“, and also the odd, eerie sonics of „Tribejagd” couldn’t really grab me.
Heavy sequencing and (organ) soloing make up the 1998-piece„What’s The Point Of Eating Concrete?”, followed by the impressive title track. It roams in great free form ambient textures and fx’s before the rattling sequencing and exciting solo’s kick in.

Things slow down on “So Far”, featuring guest musician Markus Reuter, which roams in well-rendered cosmic and ambient drone textures.
The dark, atmospheric “Scissors” continues in the same vein, but gradually gets more rhythmic as retro sequencing and drums fade in.
It’s sad there’s another, although very short, track coming: “Nothing” is an experimental, odd and distorted sounding piece which should have been left out, as it makes no sense at all.

All in all, this is an essential recording for those who love the raw, powerful output of this band.

Website: www.parsick.com

You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on the [‘ramp] artist page