Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit

As you might expect from the title, this is now a long-running collaboration. One half of Flanger and the rhythm engine behind Can have made much magic on previous releases, but by their last full-length, they were beginning to repeat themselves. Secret Rhythms 4 adds a dose of moxie to the partnership. Tempos are quickened, introspective electronic noodling is curtailed and, as a result, the songs drive despite their epic lengths. The worst part of this album is its numerical song titles, but beyond that, these rhythms churn like locomotives picking up steam as they head out of the train station. "120-05" is a perky way to start, with a vaguely North African shuffle giving way to Liebezeit's ubiquitous and brilliant work on the toms. There's something bluesy about the way it moves, even as glockenspiels and ghostly pink noise float through the mix. The blues inform many of the melodic progressions on the album, with "131-07" featuring near-heavy metal changes, though without the same instrumentation. While there is a certain similarity to Liebezeit's game plan from track to track, it's impossible to disengage halfway through, thanks to the extremely long-form song structures.