Brandt Brauer Frick: You Make Me Real
When inserting German trio, Brandt Brauer Frick‘s latest CD, You Make Me Real into my computer, iTunes automatically labeled it “electronica”. All I could think is “what a narrow mind you have iTunes”. What Brandt Brauer Frick seek to do on You Make Me Real is to bridge the gap between classical and techno. Utilizing live drums, strings, and pianos, the group shows the listener what techno would have sounded like if done in the early parts of last century. It is a bold undertaking that draws some surprising conclusions. The main conclusion I got from this is that techno and jazz really are not that far apart.
The album’s longest track “Mi Corazon” clocks in at just under eight-and-a-half minutes. The track starts off with a beat that sounds like Blue Man Group doing African rhythms. The track adds a guitar that is reminiscent of the Seinfeld bass line. The guitar is quickly replaced with riffing on piano and synthesizer. The three instruments seem to play a call and response type of round robin improvisation over the standard drum beat for the entirety of the track.
This is the type of track that is typical of You Make Me Real. While I enjoy the track, I wonder what type of listener is this album geared towards. I would imagine the tracks are not dancy enough to appeal to techno lovers but they are generally too repetitive to appeal to many jazz fans. For me, I could see having the album on in the background but one close listen through was about as much as I could take. The concept is interesting but the songs are just too repetitive.
Rating: 5.3/10
MP3: Brandt Brauer Frick “Mi Corazon”
Buy: iTunes or Insound!
Brandt Brauer Frick: You Make Me Real
