| Rumors abounded that Komputer was actually Kraftwerk in disguise. As Komputer's first two EPs were dead ringers for Mssrs. Hutter and Schneider's historical templates, it's easy to have made such a mistake. Mirroring groove for groove and blip for blip, vocalist David Baker sing-speaks Komputer's techno-pop fascination with Bill Gates, automation, and geography in the same Vocoder-inflected monotone ol' Ralf H. soldered onto many a surging power plant beat. Granted, Komputer might not have the crackling inventiveness laid down by its Krautrock ancestors. Yet THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, Komputer's debut album ( 1998 ) exudes not only a quaint charm but also a fairly sharp predilection for melody and an obvious taste for metallic digi-rhythms. The caressing buzz-and-bop of "LOOKING DOWN ON LONDON " and "Valentina" twirls the lobes a notch or two, and "Komputer Pop" is simply, well, ravishing sequencer bubble-gum nonstop. Until the 'Werk plugs into the network again, list Komputer at the top of your hit parade for endless doppelgangin' pleasure. As they rap gently over planet-rocking beats and against the up-the-down-escalator Stockhausen symphonics, it's hard to believe that this duo of technicians earned their music degrees in England, not Germany or Japan..." www.youtube.com www.myspace.com |
