Melbourne’s own Germanophiles, Black Cab, are no longer achtung babies. The trio are in their tenth year and this is their fourth and most polished release since they formed. Lee, Coates and Holland give their Krautrock fascination full realisation with Underground Lover Richard Andrew assisting along with several other well known names.
An expansive project that takes as its basis the exploration of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, these games are now renowned for skagged to the gills East German athletes collecting gold medals for fun.
The 13 tracks on this record are linked by a golden thread and therefore should be listened to as a whole. It all makes for a magical listen that at times straddles the periphery of the Bermuda triangle of rhythm and melody: close to being lost but always found. Consumed as a whole, this record makes for an unbreakable force. The music is firmly electronic drone and repetition, but it’s nonetheless organised, akin to Stasi precision with the use of keyboards, sequencers and the like.
Fans will already be familiar with Sexy Polizei and Combat Boots which have been around for several years. But the likes of Supermädchen, Kornelia Ender and Performance Center Obertauern are simply breathtaking. Sticking to the margins, this record has gestated for a long time and engaged several producers. This has not had an adverse effect on the overall finished product.
Tackling such a specific project may have been a torrid career move and resulted in a work that staggers around like a wastrel sniffing under dust bin lids looking for ideas. To their credit, Black Cab come through with a gold medal result.
BY BRONIUS ZUMERIS
Best Track: Sexy Polizei
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: NEU, KRAFKWERK, DECODER RING, UNDERGROUND LOVERS, GALAXIE 500
In A Word: Monolithic
