Lutzenkirchen - Pandora Electronica

German electro techno fusionist Lützenkirchen is one of the most prolific producers in the game, putting out a dizzying amount of material every month. Much of it is fairly pedestrian and forgettable – but his large output means that he frequently releases absolute gems. Fortunately this debut artist album is much more killer than filler, and makes for an impressive listen.
 
We start off with grubby, slow, bouncing techno with dashes of old skool electro in For A Friend, with a variation on the theme in Super Duper – all rasping riffs, ticking, shuffling percussion, taut snares and rousing arpeggiated bass. It’s very German – in a good way – heavy, mischievous and industrial. Elsewhere, he explores sublime trancey undertones on One Night In Rio and Bahia Melody – the former a shimmering, Balearic-tinged beaut, the later a more euphoric blend of twinkling melodies and heart-warming bass – while Panker sees him go for a rampant funky house vibe, jacking and undulating all over the shop with an unfeasibly groovy bassline. Clearly then, he’s no one-trick pony.
 
There’s more surprises later on – chugging Egyptian techno on Cairo On Acid, the quirky but infectious funky techno peon to staying up for 3 days straight on 3 Tage Wach, and the class, sexy minimalism of A Whisper In The Wind to finish us off.
 
It’s a satisfyingly eclectic mix of styles, all linked together by his high-impact, tight production sound, and there are only a couple of tracks which don’t cut large amounts of mustard. You also get a “Best Of Lutzenkirchen” 25-track mix CD as a bonus, making this a very necessary purchase for any fans of his sound.