Mouse On Mars Radical Connector

[Thrill Jockey; 2004]

Rating: 3.5/5

Styles: IDM, Ambient Techno, Indie Electronic
Others: Kid 606, Luke Vibert, Mr. Oizo, Bruce Haack


The German duo of Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma, better known as Mouse On Mars, have been making their special brand of IDM for over ten years now. While originally undeniably cutting edge back in '94, their path has not so much been one of broad, sweeping exploration into all manner of newly marketed technology and trends but the perfection and reimagining of their own sound, which must save them a lot of time not having to reinvent the wheel every go round -- like Aldous Huxley said, "there is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." The decision of which MOM album one likes best speaks more about the personality of the individual listener than the quality of any specific album because there is no debating the high standard of their releases. Idiology was for those enamored by the power of glitch, Iaora Tahiti pandered to the Stereolab indie crowd, and so on. Radical Connector softens up the abrasive glitch techno and broken beats of 2001's Idiology to produce a more dance-friendly album, with their signature warped vocals taking on a house sheen and invading every track, thereby making this the first MOM album with no instrumentals. In this obvious shift, Werner and Toma appear to want to push their sound from the largely cerebral side of things to the physical without betraying either, hence it still being intelligent dance music. While I wouldn't recommend this to be the first MOM album you buy, it's hard to go wrong with anything in their back catal… reviewer suddenly attacked by a swarm of fruit flies that've moved inside due to dropping October temperatures, become hostel, and somehow managed to breach the perimeter. After a lengthy battle, the review is resumed with a pen inked by the blood of various small insects ...ogue, yes catalogue. Hmm… Roosevelt once said, "men and women are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds." If this is so, so I am now free... free...

1. Mine Is In Yours
2. Wipe That Sound
3. Spaceship
4. Send Me Shivers
5. Blood Comes
6. The End
7. Detected Beats
8. All The Old Powers
9. Evoke An Object