Search - Geoff White :: Questions & Comments

Dream state techno

painter@un.org | NYC | 11/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mr. White's remarkably self-assured first release on the Force imprint is one of their smartest to date. That is saying a lot when you are in the company of nimble stable mates like Vladislav Delay, Stewart Walker, Thomas Jirku and the rest of the Force Posse. "Questions and comments" builds on their take on minimal techno, but takes it all the way downtempo. Whites vision is warm, accessible, and revolutionary in its skeletal simplicity. A true bricoleur, White takes the basic elements of techno, drops the 4x4, and reengineers it into something incredibly beautiful and fresh. References abound, from Derrick May to Maurizio, even a bit of the pocket calculator futurism of Kraftwerk. The first half of the CD reminds me of the propulsive micro-house of Dirk Diggler - but mellower, mixing lazy but still- funky techno rhythms with deep Drexciyan synth tones. Towards the end the CD takes on a more subdued pulsing air, like a heartbeat pinging into space, while washes of sound spread, drift and slowly dissipate in the mix. Overall, "Questions" is a stunningly original and essential debut, that's a step ahead of the pack. One of 2001's best. (...)"