raster series  | release 04.96  | cdr 004

Eight electronic-dub-industrials not like the usual ones. Composed on the computer, mixed live,
then transferred back to be edited and arranged. Result: A beat that is not so straight-ahead with
unexpected breaks, with percussion parts that are loaded down with delay. In and out short
melodylines and hard grooving basslines that hold everything toghether.

... the album can be enjoyed unconditionally, with little need to fret about difficult-listening or
audiophysics. It serves as an ideal gateway to RastermusicÕs thornier titles ...

written by tol. (except test by komet)
arranged & mixed by tol & komet. edited by komet.
rrecorded at raster studio. dec '95 - april '96

raster series | release 04.96 | cdr 005

The song monotony is what really makes them stand out, gently circulating around a hypnotic
center-point. although it is only a five tracks cd it is a piece of modern electronic sixty minutes long.
Alone the first song "Interflug" is eighteen minutes. A nice smooth groove let it seem to be shorter.
An elegant looking electric car driving down the avenue, dressed with tiny spoilers, a disco glitter
sticker on the back of the rear-view mirror, no faster than 80 kmp.hour and always straight ahead.

raster series | release 06.97 | cdr 010

The two longest tracks »shift« (13:15) and »wellen« (14:49) hilight the main points of the new
Produkt-CD «stretch»simultaneously. While »shift« picks up the thread of the slow-mo technotracks
of the previous CD «float», the peaceful, almost melodic »wellen« and »stretch«, the electric and
totally hypnotic titeltrack, enter a new musical direction for Produkt. Produkt has always stood for
hypnosis, but this time everything is much more composed and concentrated than its predecessor.
This impression will be intensified through the short soundstructures which connect the tracks and
remind us that rastermusic consists of two labels. The second label is noton, which is famous for totally
unorthodox, avantgarde sound creations. The label is named after the founder noto, who is causing
a sensation in international avant-sound-circles and in »shift« he also complets the members of Produkt.

(EFA04561) Ego Recordings 2001

21 Tracks. 129mins37secs.

Düsseldorf-based art-house Ego only existed for a couple of years, between October 1998 and
August 2000. During this time, the place was the scene of many live performances by electronic
artists, ranging from club-orientated musicians to sound experimentalists. Live Sets At Ego 1998-2000
compiles some of the best moments of the place.
With a vocation stuck somewhere between chill out club and art gallery, Ego was bound to attract
some of the most challenging artists around. From dance floor minimalism to the equally austere
grounds of atmospheric, Live Sets bring together some of the best of underground computer
musicians, from Khan and Antonelli Electr. to Opiate and Kit Clayton. Some of these tracks have been
previously released, but all versions included here are exclusive. Wether it is on the distant, fast-moving,
Continuous Mode (Untitled), the aquatic beats of Produkt (Statik), the minimal experimentations of Monolake
(Pluto) or the electro-pop anachronism of Kotai & Bader (Welltick), the listener is transported into some
sterile parallel sonic universe, devoid of notions of time or distance. Melodies are scarce, only briefly
emerging from nowhere before being swallowed again by the diverse rhythmic constructions or waves of
warm sonic displays. The first part of this album, devoted to more upbeat tracks, is a celebration of minimal
dance music. Each composition focuses on the essential relationship between beat and atmosphere in its
very own way. The approach of Continuous Mode´s Andy Mellwig or Antonelli Electr. is somewhat different,
some would say more accessible, than the more obscure ambiences created by Swayzak or Markus Nikolai.
The second half presents the more sound-daring aspect of the lot. The hermetic sonic excursions of Markus
Schmicker, Leandro Fresco or Noto are met with the complex, organic structures of Opiate, Thomas Brinkmann
or Kit Clayton. Despite the segregation of genres, or perhaps because of it, Live Sets is a captivating
documentary on contemporary music, bringing together a wide range of artists, some already widely
established, others craving for recognition. Electronic music doesn´t always transfer well to live performance,
but the contributions included here were all part of a wider artistic project, and gain a dimension rarely heard.

Ego might be no more, its founders long gone to work on other projects, but its spirit is well and truly alive,
and transpires rather well through this record.