Swimmingpool: Michael Scheibenreiter, Stefan Schwander.

The debut album to stem from Dsseldorf duo Stefan Schwander and sometime-Phonehead Michael Scheibenreiter offers an aural liquidity well-suited to their chosen nomenclature. The opening "Eddy" sets the tone for the entire track listing, a typically succinct cut where the angular thump of kick drum is softened with depth-charged slivers of melody and an occasional low-end growl. This audio attrition is a running theme throughout the music of the pair, the 4/4 club tendencies of Schwander (echoed in his respected solo work as Repeat Orchestra) forming an uneasy alliance with the slightly menacing chill favored by Scheibenreiter as they skip from broken beat to gentle click-hop through to electronic minimalism with some panache. Preceding singles "Diver" and "Atomiser" -- both included here -- received support from such notables as Richie Hawtin and John Aquaviva, and this first substantial body of work only acts to cement an already impressive reputation. ~ Kingsley Marshall