Sebrok : 'Minisketch'
Released: Out Now!!!
Label: SCI-TEC
In the eyes of many, dance music is seen as an aural expression of feeling and emotion portrayed in a unique way. Unlike more traditional genres it uses beats and rhythms to communicate rather than guitars or lyrics. The passion lies within the anticipation of a beat or the progression from start to climactic conclusion. It can also evoke memories of nights out, occasions and events that can lie in the dark recesses of the memory. Such passion and feeling is, unfortunately, completely absent throughout Sebrok's “Minisketch”. Swapping emotion for efficiency, each track feels meticulously constructed rather than formed on the cusp of a feeling, rendering it highly impersonal and rather heavy going.
Billed as a “purveyor of tough and twitchy stripped back techno”, Berlin based Sebrok certainly takes a minimalist approach to his music. Whist opening track “Vision” does indeed build effectively throughout on a basic level, it's content is so devoid of inspiration it is hard to maintain interest. Simple beats and computer generated tweaks are never out of place, yet the track meanders with a distinct lack of penetration and only several minor developments. An ascending electronic melody provides the main focal point, yet instead of dropping to a thunderous conclusion it merely progresses in fashion reminiscent of 1980's video game music. Similarly follow up “Cheap & Awesome” persists with the stripped down approach with very little to carry it forward, choosing instead to take after it's name with some simple yet basic electronic effects.
What is instantly obvious about “Minisketch” is that each track sounds irksomely similar to each other. “Concorde”, despite being track number 5 of 7, could easily slip straight into either of the preceding four unnoticed were it not for it's peculiarly humanistic groans and random noises that remain interesting for a disappointingly short amount of time. Skip on for several seconds and you would find that no more has been added to the mix than miniscule computerised noises. By the same token “Home For Sale” is born on the same dull thud of a bassline, yet with a frankly irritating siren as the main melody making it, again, more than at home on a Sega Megadrive menu. Such carbon copied similarity is astonishing, especially given that each element attempting to make it unique serves for make it simply more frustrating.
Minimalism in electronic music can bring wonderful results – think DJ Shadow and Moby for two masters of the art. Yet the way in which Sebrok interprets the art is from a very different angle, creating the minimum and unfortunately getting the same out. What is perhaps most perplexing is the minor developments within each track that leave them arid and empty from almost start to finish. Although it may be “tough and twitchy”, that much is true, it's sheer coldness and lack of drive strips it of any potential feeling or effect. And, with it's basic electronic implementation throughout, it is hard not to think that, given a low budget Casio keyboard, most people would be able to recreate Sebrok's sounds with relative ease.
Words: Dan Grose
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