Dopplereffekt

Although they originate from the Detroit area, Dopplereffekt are so German it hurts. Their name is German, their retro-futuristic aesthetic is clearly informed by the Kraftwerk man-machine, and principal producer Gerald Donald has been known to perform under the pseudonyms of Rudolf Klorzeiger and Heinrich Mueller. Cloaked in mystery, Donald and a female assistant took their positions behind two Korg Triton LE workstations. The pair were dressed all in black, except for expressionless gold masks that covered their faces, which magnified their mystique. Having been dormant all night, the Hanger finally fired up their projectors to show grainy stock footage, sci-fi clips, rudimentary computer animations of industrial machinery, and lab technicians from Dopplereffekt's video for "Scientist" from their Fascist State EP of 1995. They produced eclectic, brooding music, typical of their more beat-oriented work for Rephlex and International Deejay Gigolo Records, classically electro and proto-techno with a glaze of dystopia. This would be the perfect soundtrack for your fallout shelter, no doubt. Unfortunately, they had a minimal performance to match their minimal sounds. Donald mostly triggered sequences and arpeggios, while his partner occasionally played pads, otherwise standing there motionless with her hands folded for minutes at a time. Their visuals looped after about 20 minutes, so those had a limited shelf life, and their tracks all stopped dead. In their defense, Dopplereffekt hasn't released anything since 2007, so they may just be getting back into the swing of things as they gear up for the release of their upcoming Tetrahymena EP on Leisure System.