I’m not generally one for pomp or techno, but Berlin musician/producer/DJ/designer Ellen Allien has always had a knack for doing each astonishingly well. And her latest, LISm (released earlier this month on her own BPitch Control), might be her most intriguing work to-date. The album began as the soundtrack to a dance performance (“Drama per Musica”) directed by Alexandre Roccoli and Severine Rieme in March of 2011. Since then, she’s revived (and re-worked parts of) the piece and given us something the soundtrack to a dream about… Well, I’m not entirely sure. LISm, which is comprised of a single track, moves up and down in epic proportions, from majestically whimsical musical existentialism to the darkest and dirtiest of contemporary club sleaze… It feels a bit like the musical equivalent of a Gaspar Noe film… There are times when you wanna sing-along and bounce to the beat, but there are far more when you’re scared and more than a little confused. The album could be described as an avant-garde CV, summing up Allien’s life’s work, strengths, and future goals. If you’re still a little hazy as to what LISm is all about… I’m guessing you’re not alone… But have a listen to Ellen Allien’s “LISm Medley” below. Allien is spending much of the rest of the year on the road and will find herself back in the states at the end of May… something that I suspect would be worth a road trip (She will be at Resolute in NYC on 5/24, U Street Music Hall in Washington DC on 5/25, and at the Movement Music Festival in Detroit on 5/27.)
[youtube http://youtu.be/6djN2Qn_MeQ]
