Stimming is the shortened artist name of minimal techno producer Martin Stimming. He's released material under both his full and last name as well as being involved with projects such as Gebrüder Ton (with Alexander Kübler) and Orli & Martie (a collaboration with Oliver Brusch).
I was heretofore unfamiliar with Stimming's work, but Reflections turned my head after finding it randomly on a blog. His combination of polyrhythms, minimal techno standard devices, weird house flourishes and attention to detail is superb and only further enhanced by his ear for melody and musicality. The track "Silver Surfer" would be just another nice chunky tech house track, acoustic percussion details and all, if it weren't for the strangely spry and angular melodic lead that takes hold halfway through. It's this incredibly odd but sensitive knack for melody that takes it to the next level. Opener "Sunday Morning" would also channel the same head-bobbing, academic deepness that characterizes much of the material coming out of a label such as M_nus, but then there is an insistent, gloomy melodic phrase that bubbles to the surface, eventually blooming into a rather grand, swooning string section that serves as the first big dramatic splash of the album. This heightened sense of drama comes back later in "The Beauty," with a whispered vocal that borders on cloying, but somehow it all works together. "Song for Isabelle" is a more typical tech-house sounding track, but its chunky delayed chords hit the spot just right; on the more terse end of things "Tel Aviv Calling" is an oddly insistent number full of bending overtones, chunky snares and a buoyant bassline. "Sleep On" brings back that keen sense of melody and melancholy over another track that equally compelling as a DJ tool and as a listening experience. The only track that falls flat for me is the vocal number, "The Loneliness," which includes a croony male vocal and a harmonica, two of my least favorite sounds combined! I applaud his willingness to break out of the formula, but this one was not my personal cup of tea.
Martin Stimming hasn't reinvented the genres from which he draws clear affinity and inspiration, but he does put his own personal touch of grace and style on each and every track on Reflections. It's a pretty outstanding collection of tracks, with a meticulous sense of detail, a clear narrative arc and ability to infuse these highly functional dancefloor tracks with a painfully inspiring human touch. Highly recommended!
more info: Myspace | Diynamic Music site
buy it: Amazon
mp3s: Sunday Morning | Silver Surfer
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