Miwon – A to B

Now and again there’s the suspicion that they’ve been listening to classic electro/ambient (Spacelab by Kraftwerk springs to mind) but that’s not really a problem; how could it be?


Miwon – A to B


http://www.miwon.de/ http://www.konkurrent.nl/


 


A lovely LP this, what is it about German bands and ambient music over the last 30-odd years?  Apart from a slightly dodgy take on Fleetwood Mac this is killer stuff. Opener Shinkansen sets the scene: quiet, confident and elegant, propelled by an insistent nagging rhythm which


 


This is a very modern sounding LP, and without trying to sound derogatory (because I’m not trying to be derogatory at all) I think this collection of tracks could be the perfect example of hotel lobby music. It doesn’t half conjure up a mental picture of those casual slightly anonymous public spaces, such as offices, lobbies, or airports…


 


Anyway, despite the minimalist palette, the last three tracks, Another Term For, Kisses to Cure and the brilliant Daylight Promise) see the music opening up into something quite celebratory and expansive. It has that dancey vibe that GusGus used to exploit so well.


 


Now and again there’s the suspicion that they’ve been listening to classic electro/ambient (Spacelab by Kraftwerk springs to mind) but that’s not really a problem; how could it be?  It’s playful (Round and Round) emotive (Kisses to Cure) and at times pretty brilliant (Daylight Promise).


 


Check it out.


 


Words: Richard Foster