Bersarin Quartett — Bзrsariп Quaяtзtt

Sometimes descriptive terms fall short in describing an artist's music, in the case of Bersarin Quartett "imaginary fictional filmscores" doesn't. The group from Münster, Germany makes darkly melancholic music that meets the requirements for late night, urban moodscapes.

So yes, references to Stars Of The Lid, Ulver's Perdition City, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore and Cinematic Orchestra are fully justified. A morose string theme, drenched in a warm reverb gets company of a beat and electronic sounds that remind of Aphex Twin's Ambient Works. It remains unclear how many people are involved in this project, although the name of the band of course suggests four. By the bandpicture that is supplied I'm lead to think this is more a group of people lead by one man named Thomas. Not something I have derived from the picture alone of course but from the biography. Whereas the drums in the first track came from a computer, the beat in the second track (Geschichten von Interesse) seems to come from an organic source, a human drummer perhaps, like I suspect the strings also are not from a can, but a real quartet, which may explain the bandname.

Inversion, the third track, largely consists of ambient electronics and cello, but the then a short crescendo makes you look up from the pleasant lull you have comforted yourself in. I remains a brief interruption as the album continues in the warm, mysterious mood. The beats of the opening tracks also weren't a promise as for the most part the music remains beatless, which suits me fine as I often find somewhat the gratuitious use of hiphop beats to hip up things but to my ears often cheapens things. Same with spoken word samples from movies, another genre cliché from which Bersarin Quartett luckily refrains. Und der Welt steht Still slowly builds into a lush drone, which is pleasing my ears much more than beats and samples. On the other hand the more jazzy approach of Die Dinge sind nie so wie Sie sind, where the drums return, works out fine.

An excellent debut album, great for nocturnal couch consumption, closing your eyes and dreaming away. I can also imagine it working well in your portable device while traveling, seeing the cities pass you by in the night. Slickly produced without becoming becoming empty chillout fastfood, Bersarin Quartett does what it promises and does it well and a recommendation for everyone into the bands I mentioned earlier.