CORRELATIONS

After a decade with multiple outstanding releases, Gttschings' Ashra album Correlations feels like a disjointed mix of leftovers. It doesn't entirely pursue the ambient synth-dominated direction of the two preceding Ashra albums, but offers shorter compositions that vary from cool and funky to downright dull or patchy.

Ice Train is a nice start, almost like a Gttsching take on Alan Parsons Project (the opening instrumental from I Robot in particular). It sounds less dated but it would have worked better at only half of its length. Also Club Cannibal could have fitted on an APP album; it pairs a swinging disco beat to eerie guitars and mellotron/synth parts. Space-disco! Nice one.

Oasis is a gentle piece with clean melancholic guitars and a soft bubbling bass synth. Not very different from earlier Ashra work. The similarity with the 80s post-wave band Durutti Column is striking, its a band sure worth checking out for Gtsching fans.

With Bamboo Sands the album takes a turn for the worse. Gttsching tries to spin his sound around tropical beach party music. Not his brightest idea probably. Also Morgana De Capo suffers from lame drum parts. The lengthier Pas De Trois continues the Latin vibes of Bamboo Sands but can't hide the lack of fresh ideas on Gttsching's part, each note he plays sounds too familiar. Phantasus again looks at APP for inspiration and it's clich and meek.

Despite a good start and an attempt to bring in new influences, Correlations is an inconsistent album from an artist that would have been better off taking a well-deserved artistic break.