The Details: Various Artists, Enjoy the Silence (Mule Electronic, 2009)
A Quick Review: Anyone disappointed with this year’s entry in Kompakt’s Pop Ambient series–we’re into it, but can totally see why some people would see it as a snooze fest–will find some comfort in the arms of Mule’s first-ever ambient compilation. Aside from such throwback Clicks & Cuts tracks as Benjamin Brunn’s “Approaching India” and Jan Jelinek’s “Stripped To Realmode,” there are enough signs of life on here to elevate Enjoy the Silence a few notches above a simple soundscape listen. Thomas Fehlmann’s “Scheiben” track, for one, is hypnotic and heady enough to score a short film. And DJ Sprinkles‘ “Music Is Controllable Desire You Can Own” (from his excellent Midtown 120 Blues LP) is straight-up bizarre, a blend of plaintive piano progressions and vocal snippets about prostitution and, well, we’re not sure what else. Either way, it beats the hell out of another beat-less sheet of sonic wallpaper.
