Vertical Ascent
Sinopsis
Generally speaking, electronic music is a solitary activity that is little given to the formation of bands. This was the number one surprise with the Moritz von Oswald trio. The second surprise comes from the fact that, together with Mark Ernestus, its leader is the influential architect of Rhythm & Sound, one of the most emblematic transformations that techno has undergone since its emancipation from Detroit. The third surprise is that we can see the brilliant electronic musician Vladislav Delay boldly playing his first instrument – the drums. Together with Max Loderbauer from Sun Electric, they plan to take us on a long hypnotic journey between the lines of techno, renouncing rhythm in favour of the environmentalism of dub music and an idea of false jazz. The cover of their debut album, showing a prototype for a rocket, illustrates how much the trio are searching for space, and consequently for freedom. It is precisely towards space that we are pushed by Vertical ascent and where this trio then keeps us.
In the early 1990s, Moritz von Oswald created the Basic Channel in Berlin to publish and produce the work of artists who were close to his techno line of thinking. With Mark Ernestus, he formed Rhythm & Sound, breathing one of his earlier passions, dub, into the very heart of the Berlin techno scene. Since then, Basic Channel has helped to create yet another handful of record labels, ranging from Chain Reaction (where Porter Ricks and Monolake took their first steps) to Wackie’s (where the music archives of the original publisher have been recovered).
Max Loderbauer is historically a shy and retiring figure. He was at the epicentre of Tresor, but lately has preferred electronic subtleties and experimental journeys with Sun Electric and NSI, respectively.
Sasu Ripatti is in debt to von Oswald and his Chain Reaction for giving him his first chance to make his name. Since then, he has spent his time between Finland and Berlin in a multitude of different guises – Vladislav Delay, Luomo or Uusitalo – broadening his range of multitextured electronic music. However, it was as a jazz drummer that Ripatti first started out in his music career, and it is in this capacity that he completes the trio in a most splendid fashion.