Album: RENO
Author: Frans de Waard
Publication: Vital Weekly (source)
Date: 12/27/2011

One thing you know for sure when you open a package with a new release by Frank Rothkamm: you never know what to expect. It can be literally anything: electronic music, ambient, classical piano, or techno music.

'Reno' is however an older work - music for a ballet, but all with modern music, techno/house like, as played on a bunch of ancient synthesizers, connected with Cubase and an Atari computer. 'The music [he] now composed was for a utopian ballet surmoderne in which the separation between dancer and spectator no longer exist, where every movement and in time with the rational clock of the universe'. This work was to be presented in New York, but Rothkamm failed to generate any interest in it, and in 1998 he moved to Los Angeles, and shelved 'Reno'.

Now he releases it and strange it is - once again. Very slick house/techno music, produced excellently, which is a bit odd to play early morning, around christmas time, as its more sweaty, late night dancing music - music to be played loud and with lots'a bass, which is hardly the appropriate thing for a christmas day. Fat cliche's pass along here, reminding me of the German Toxictraxx/House Natives, but I'm sure it will have other connections for those who like mid 90s dance music.

I simply thought this was a very fine release. If only I knew of a good retro party for the year's end, and I could bring this as a lost work of the time. (FdW)

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