Ex Machina

Ex Machina

Aril Brikha [Peacefrog]

25 August, 2007 | 2.55PM

• Section: Music Reviews
• Written by: Richard Brophy

This is a sad story:  once upon a time, in a faraway country (actually, it was Sweden, but please indulge me) a producer called Aril Brikha decided to make electronic music.

Brikha’s futuristic work impressed even the Detroit techno community he took inspiration from.

The growling bass and dramatic, sweeping chords of ‘Groove La Chord’ was an exhilarating dance floor episode, while the follow up album, 200’s ‘Deeparture In Time’, issued on Derrick May’s Transmat label, was a more introspective but hypnotically intricate work – and is still seen as one of techno’s best long players.

Brikha disappeared soon after its release, and only resurfaced earlier this year, returning with ‘Winter’ on Kompakt.

Unfortunately, Brikha made the mistake of trying to make new school, Germanic trancey techno, but the flipside track, ‘Berghain’ gave some hope that he would revisit past glories on his new album, ‘Ex Machina’.

In places, it showcases his ability to combine windswept chords with intricate percussion and acid pulses - check ‘Last One’ and ‘Gres’ – but, although the production is excellent throughout, the shudderingly cheesy title track and the daft ebm tribute track, ‘Kind of Nitzer’ make the most convincing case you’ll ever hear for focusing on what you know best. 

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