Fred Und Luna Im Tanzrauch Compost Records | The Electro Review

​Fred und Luna
Im Tanzrauch
Compost Records
TBR: 22nd March


Proper elekrokraut fans will definitely remember Monotonikum, seeing as it was a featured track on the massive Fabric 100 a few months ago. This dancefloor hit sealed the Fred und Luna sound for us all, and enabled them to make huge waves with Compost Records. The new EP works off of the back of their last album, Im Tiefenrauch. We're drawn back in with four expertly manicured tracks which pay homage to the group's 2016 debut while continuing the sonic journey into ever higher dimensions. It's been a heavy ride since their first album from 'back in the day', titled Im Klanggarten. In high demand, it seems, Fred und Luna have positioned themselves on a few labels over the past few years, establishing listening crowds in as many zones as possible. Billed as a dance-floor epic, Im Tanzrauch culminates everything so far plus some more with mixing by the world-renowned Jan Krause from Beanfield.


It begins with Der Elekrolektor. A bouncy rhythm opens the track, full of looped overlaps, then a keys melody begins to tell the story. Blippy sonics float on effervescent waters, to be joined by deep tones like giant fishes swimming just beneath the surface. Menisci forming notes build from the sides, a rhythmic pattern of moving up and down as the waves lap the edge of the experiment. Tension and motion combine in a dynamic and minimal yet complex-stepping dance track. Build-ups, run-downs, and injections of clarity all make themselves heard to bring the flow into the fast paced halls, no doubt queuing up to play this.


Subtle funk breaks open a can of the good stuff as Compostonikum begins the second mix. Smooth rhythm on the keys is joined by deep and resonant drumming, mid-ranged in tone yet reaching and far sounding. It has a tribal element, like a wooden hand-drum and to validate the theory, a tribal chanting begins to layer the top. Heavenly sounding pads waft in on spectral melodics while the rhythm enhances on the surrounding progression. The melody shifts to allow for a new direction. Buzzing electronics drift in from the right, carving out a bee-line for the chanting again. The homely and organic feel meets the digital flow and they love each other.


Third up and we get a much more digital feeling piece. Blippy beats begin the motion and a wobbly synth churns out a dynamic melody. A vocoder sampled voice makes use of its suggestive robotics and the progression revs up to meet the new energy. Extra percussion is sprinkled in at all the right places and the melodics wander and surge to find ever novel harmonies and subtle variations. Fast-stepping and simple timing combined with an ever-changing scenery of sonics makes Es Ist Heiß a classic floor-filler. As the music evolves, everything pushes harder and further into a massive array of electronic sounds before a gradual release.


To finish, People Mambo starts on another tribal sound. This time, it's female voices singing. It's not clear what they're saying but it sounds great. New pot drums make a percussive melody on the top shelf, next to a buzzing fizz. Deeper notes start to pluck away, merging with the drumming, and finding a bridge between the traditional electro kit and the organic percussion instruments which work together. Melody finds a way to shine through the huge wall of rhythm, springy high notes and bow-string lower ones glow from the fractures while the singing continues to fill the sound with humanity. People Mambo! Now we're talking, and it seems to be saying that there's nothing better than being around good people. I'd tend to agree.


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