German composer Stefan Erbe has been delighting EM audiophiles for many years with his skillful manner of imbuing electronics with a very organic spirit, resulting in music that soars as it mesmerizes. His recent releases display a distinctly refreshing bounciness that should not be missed.
STEFAN ERBE: Timeless (CD on Blueroom Productions)
This CD from 2005 offers 69 minutes of snappy electronic tunes.
Sparkling drama envelopes this music. From the onset, the electronics soar with rich textures augmented by bouncy e-perc. Vibrant keyboards tickle the ears with delightful riffs. The melodies express a jovial quality that is highly infectious, delivering mirth to the psyche as well as setting the feet tapping along with the buoyant tempos.
Utilizing a versatile array of sounds, the keyboards produce extremely vivacious riffs that mix grit with slick passion. The music fairly surges with verve, an energy that is superbly enhanced by the fascinating rhythmics that literally gush forth with every intention of captivating all who encounter them. These bouncy tempos are escorted into your ears by luscious electronics which heed a highly bewitching sense of composition.
Erbe's style is a fresh departure from most EM in that he infuses his music with a powerful richness. The melodies are strong, with complex augmentation that only serves to increase their catchy influence. Fusing dreaminess with a commanding sense of vigor, he achieves a relentless state of delight for listeners.
This music resides in a curious territory between contemporary EM and techno, drawing strongly from these genres. While evading falling into either class, the tunes will definitely appeal to fans of both.
STEFAN ERBE: Light of Sirius (CD on Blueroom Productions)
This CD from 2005 offers 61 minutes of lively electronic music.
Originally produced in 1994, this music was remastered in 2005, bestowing new life to these wonderfully aquatic tracks.
Without question, Erbe has a certain flair for vibrantly exuberant tuneage. His fingers can be ever so nimble as they coax effusive passion from his keyboards. Not content to establish cycles of glistening appeal and then tinker with their evolution, he generates several layers of energetic riffs that intertwine to create even more generous melodies. Rich textural flows provide auxiliary depth for these interwoven chords, producing a sparkling density of considerable charm.
The liberal use of e-perc serves to infuse the music with a strongly dynamic pep. These rhythms are hardly constant, though, appearing when appropriate and remaining subdued when necessary, allowing the lustrous electronics to flourish into emphatic gems.
Aquatic elements are regularly present in the mix, provoking a liquid theme to the tunes, one that excellently suits Erbe's blending of deep bass notes with vibrantly high end tones.
As with his later compositions, these tunes employ an integral fusion of techno and contemporary EM, resulting in a buoyancy that is pleasing and full of propulsion. The true brilliance comes from how the music never degenerates into mindless repetition, constantly varying and escalating in emotional demeanor. The pace may be often frantic, but that fervor is focused on heightening the spirit, a task at which the music relentlessly succeeds with immense grace and cheerful vitality.
A distinct optimism pervades this music. Even tracks bearing foreboding titles like "Hopeless World" and "The Dark Side of the Sea" ring with blazing jubilance that infects the audience with an earnest positivism.
For reviews of Erbe's prior releases, go here and here.
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