F.M. Einheit
Sensation Death
Rough Trade / Our Choice

F.M. Einheit is one of Germany's most prolific musicians at the moment. He played with the industrial avant garde legend Einstürzende Neubauten in the past fifteen years, and at the same time he worked as a producer, remixer and collaborator for a number of other bands. Last year he left his band to concentrate entirely on composing incidental music for theater and radio plays. His latest effort is the soundtrack for the interactive dance show Sensation Death.

The story behind this piece is a futuristic game show where a convicted criminal has to bet his life in the game for the ultimate entertainment of the audience. However you don't need to know the details to appreciate the music which is a fine selection of electronic and experimental percussive music in itself. Since a dance show does not need any lyrics, the music is mostly instrumental. The tracks range from dark haunting pieces to happy show tunes corresponding with the theme of the show.

Death Row sets the stage and returns as a theme song several times throughout the piece. Defending Phrase has an eerie atmosphere with some strange movie samples, dark haunting sounds and drum loops, interrupted by simple video game melodies. 6/4 is a somewhat monotonous electronic interlude which plays tricks with the listener who always expects a 4/4 time in every rhythmic track. The Hektik is a little electronic melody which changes the stereo channels very fast and does exactly what the title predicts - it makes you hectic. The Switch gives a short rest before the unsettling rhythm and the bellowing command-like samples of The Race start. Requiem fuer eine Totgeweihte (Requiem for a Doomed to Death) is calm but also dissonant at times.

The next section starts with Adieu Partner, an ambient piece with electronic choir and screams in the background. The next track Kompositionsspiel is the of a catchy game show melody. It assures you that this is all entertainment. Fernsehballett is a rhythmic techno dance track. Basically it's a recycling of an older F.M. Einheit track, Frühlingserwachen from a 1990 (and now deleted) maxi single, with some samples exchanged and new sounds added.

Then the finale, at first a Duell starts with a rhythm of bells and adds more and more noisy loops until the final track, Russisches Roulett begins. This leads to the climax of excitement with a hectic string section and some vocal samples.

This is not a typical rock/pop album, but if you have an open mind for some experiments, then this album is recommended.

Copyright © 1997 Lonely Locke