Louderbach

Ominous, broken soundscapes tinged with dark, depressive expanses are the catalysts that usher in the second full-length release by Berlin/L.A. duo Louderbach. Producer Troy Pierce and vocalist Gibby Miller began collaborating on music in 2001, and the effectiveness of Autumn shows a culmination of their experience. Pierce's minimal techno is punctuated with spastic, yet completely controlled, outbursts and desolate manipulations, like the change in tone found on "Notes" and the dark intensity of sparsely layered instrumental "Sunspots." Miller's chilling, monotone vocals meanwhile, are beyond fitting, necessary to convey the anxiety-ridden landscape the album traverses. The humour isn't lost on Autumn's grim, sullen undercurrents (or the title itself) and its spring/summer release. Stripped of all the bells and whistles, the simplicity shines through the rot.