gullbuy music review

Hiltmeyer Inc

title

Sendling 70

label

Gomma

format
CD

Hiltmeyer Inc CD coverHiltmeyer Inc (aka Alex Andre Hoffmann) is a relative newcomer on the Munich scene. He's had the opening track Narcotic! appear on the Gomma compilation Gommagang Zwei and Kill The DJ's How To Kill The DJ (Part Two), as well as the Trax Sampler 081 compilation. It was a highlight on those compilations and gets things going here quite nicely.

With names like Narcotic! and Pornhaus (the second track), hopefully you get a good idea of what this Gomma release has to offer. It's dirty electronics, with porno synths and killer rhythms. And while the best tracks definitely rise above the lesser tracks showing Hoffmann definitely knows a sweet rhythm, there's something missing from this debut album.

I think the downfall for this album is the fact that it is only one man's vision. If Hoffmann had collaborated with some other people, this album would have been much more exciting. As it stands there are some stand out tracks that make me think of electronic era Wire or krautrock like Narcotic! (one of the few tracks with anything like a lead vocal - a slowed down voice - and some killer synth bass), S7 Ride (with some old school techno lines), Finalahh (nice mix of synths and breathy wordless vocals), Synthipopü (mixing distorted synths with some Western soundtrack whistling), Hillygirl (a boxy krautrock rhythm), and Rockabill (a Wire like rocker with a motoric beat and cowbell punch).

These are tracks that djs can use in their sets, but they have to be cherry picked from the album. Hoffmann has the goods, he just needs to work it a bit more. There's too much filler to make this album a classic.

---Patrick, June 7, 2005