Apparat
Silizium EP
Shitkatapult

Apparat are an electronic trio that have been releasing albums since 2001. They were one of John Peel's favorites, and this EP is a Peel Session that was recorded just a few months before his death.

The Silizium EP is five live tracks of Max/MSP influenced modern-electronic pop music. The beats can be brutal, as they are in "Introduction". "Komponent" sees advanced clickery framing Morr music style guitar, voice, and melody. Quite original, the voice and guitar do nothing but ground the music - a trick pulled off by few electronic artists this talented. Usually they just focus completely on the lap-top/equipment and never pick up a mic and sing. Also warming the sound is beautiful instrumental playing, saxophones and strings never afraid to come to the forefront. "Komponent" is a hell of a song.

The sax that opens the title track is present and sexy. The quality of this live playing is beyond top-notch. Strings again come amazingly close to you. The only problem with this tune is its slow pace, which can get tiring. It doesn't take that long for the sexy sax to return and save, though. "Not a Good Place" is a dark and knowing piece of work. Getting really picky, a few of the singer's inflections remind me of bad things, like Tool or post-Pretty Hate Machine NIN, but that happens really rarely, and the overall quality is slightly effected. Don't get me wrong, this singer certainly never screams, but his angst can be a little hard to trust at times. It's churlish to complain, however.

"It's Gonna Be a Long Walk" is a troubled and worried song, slow in its motions. The beat that drops halfway through is really great. A nice finish to this EP. There are 4 remixes that follow on the EP by Bus, Rechenzentrum, Telefon Tel Aviv, and Apparat. I can see why John Peel liked this group, and this recording is an important piece of history. Apparat are surely a band that will continue to make great music.

Copyright © 2005 Bill Banks