FANGER & SCHöNWäLDER
Analog Overdose 4
CD & DVD, Manikin Records, 2007
Fanger & Schönwälder’s "Analog Overdose 4" comes in a Manikin-style double-digipak holding an audio cd and a dvd.
The cd contains three extended tracks of which the first one features a rather monotonous sequence on which improvised solo’s hover over a blanket of vintage textures. In my opinion, the second and third track are more appealing, both taking off with a nicely sculptured landscape of free form vintage and mellotron soundscapes and effects to which some versatile, fresh sounding sequencing and more to the point soloing are added later on. These moody recordings are more up to the quality standard one may expect from this experienced duo.
The added dvd contains a well filmed 75-minute concert feature of the duo’s performance during the 5th Hampshire Jam Festival held in 2006. Three extended pieces are featured, all firmly tapping into the sonic heritage of the Berliner School. It sees both musicians in great spirits, giving their best as they display a variety of solo’s, mellotron soundscapes and flute solo’s (derived from Manikin’s Memotron) over ongoing strings of minimal and shape shifting hypnotic Schrittmacher sequencer patterns.
Fans of the Berliner School sound will want to dig this release for sure.
