As Long as the Light

Michael Rother's first collaboration with Italian artist Vittoria Maccabruni melds icy electronics with wisps of guitar fuzz that burn like perfectly controlled candle flames. Rother's guitar tone is unmistakable to anyone familiar with any of his work since the '70s, from Neu! and Harmonia to his substantial solo discography, and here it adds a considerable amount of warmth and humanity to synth textures that might seem stark and alienating on their own. Some of the tracks are filled with suspense, like cinematic opener "Edgy Smiles," which builds up tension with skittering micro-beats and creeping sequences before Rother's guitars add bursts of light and energy. "Curfewed" is even darker and more soundtrack-worthy, sounding ideal for a scene where the characters are crawling through ancient catacombs, with a brief chase sequence near the end. A few tracks land closer to ambient techno, but not the friendliest, most chilled-out kind. "Exp 1" has softly clanging midtempo beats and lightly bubbling synths, while "See Through" skitters off the ground, only gaining a stronger kick drum during its final minutes. The few songs with vocals come closer to the ambient pop sound of Rother's other 21st century solo efforts. "You Look at Me" is easily the most memorable song on the album, centering around Maccabruni's sly taunt "you look at me like I'm a stranger," while "Forget This" is more abstract, with Maccabruni's reversed vocals occasionally surfacing as vaporous thought bubbles. The two musicians clearly have different impulses, but they manage to combine them smoothly without settling into a formula. ~ Paul Simpson