Karhunainen

Berlin-based Vladislav Delay (aka Sasu Ripatti, Luomo) releases a third techno album under his Uusitalo disguise. Influenced by and named after his late father's well-known theatre play, Karhunainen (Bear Woman) Delay continues to search for his rhythmic roots. With his groove offerings from the past he often resembled an undertaker at a disco. This new album might change some of those impressions, with more up-front beats than he has ever created before. In spite of being noted for experimental sounds and compositions not yet heard, some of his warmest feelings are reserved for the drum beat. This deep-rooted loyalty to rhythms, even though hidden and strangled in most of his productions, is about to come to the surface again. And above all else, he is a rhythm passionista, a drum collector, a cymbal maker -- a true percussion freak.

The new album consists of 10 songs, 8 of which are dedicated to the infamous bass drum. In an act of conspicuous non-consumption, he chose to only use analog equipment on this album and leave all digital sound processing out, which explains the warm and full sound of the album. His rhythmic fortune is used to great effect on Karhunainen -- he quite wonderfully replaces the drum machines on more than a few tracks with a drum stick and anything else he could hit, be it random metal surfaces or his young daughter's toys. To complete the album, there's hauntingly beautiful tracks with cinematic beginnings and endings.