Musik

Plastikman: Richie Hawtin.
Recording information: Utk Windsor.
On his fourth release as Plastikman, Richie Hawtin hones his ambient house experiments to a shimmering, hallucinatory perfection. A veteran of the Detroit techno underground, Hawtin has taken the DJ-based dancefloor aesthetic of his background and merged it with high-minded touches of minimalist composition, atmospheric textures and abstract tonal shadings. 1994's MUSIK is one of Hawtin's finest offerings. The nervous anthropomorphic creak of "Kriket," the aggressive, acid house flashes of "Fuk," the bottom end pulse of "Ethnik," and the insistent rhythmic palette of "Goo" are only a few examples of Hawtin's evocative, entrancing mix-magic. In all, this is a startlingly unique, standout electronica release.