Miwon - From A to B

MIWON - FROM A TO B (CITY CENTRE OFFICES)

Alongside the likes of Wolfgang Voigt, Jorg Burger, Ulrich Schnauss and Peter Kersten, Hendrik Kröz adds another name to a growing canon of fey, melancholic and dare I say it, rather glib generation of German producers treading a fine line between pop, techno and ambient. Some people might call it indie-house, but that’s a term that demeans both genres.

Kröz’s debut Pale Glitter in 2005 gave ample warning of his compositional qualities, and this new album furthers that, although I still feel as if he is one of a whole breed seemingly unable to resist tantalising ambiguity in his song constructions. Some of the melodic ideas that appear on From A to B are nothing but sublime, from the opening twilight of “Shinkansen” to the beat-driven dusky tranquility of “More Guitar on the Monitor, Please” that recalls Boards of Canada, and he seems at his happiest twirling daintily made tropes over simple chord sequences that rise to a slow climax. There are nods to house with delicate guitar on “Matchbox” and “Daylight Promise” is wrapped around a delightful piano lead line, complemented by simplistic percussion. Put simply, some of the ideas here are breathtaking, but it seems as if Kröz is keen to keep them as sketches, albeit ones that are more realised fully than on his first album.

Keeping in line with the ironic strain that runs through this genre, there’s a noticeable lift from Fleetwood Mac on title track “From A to B”, Kröz lifting the refrain from “You can go your own way”, adding something perhaps of an autobiographical touch to proceedings, but other than ethereal guest vocals on “Another Term For” by Maho Masuda”, the emotional content is kept to a minimum.

I’m in two minds about “From A to B” because it lacks a certain cohesiveness to call it a great album. The narrative jumps from place to place, yet if anything this quixotic element makes each new track something of a surprise, and given the wide range of textures and ideas on display, there’s a chaotically joyous aspect to it that defies my initial feelings on it. Kröz takes you on a journey, and as such it’s just whether you feel enamoured of his productions to join him.

Toby Frith