<h2>BETRIEB -> MAPSTATION</h2>
New Motion/ Gravitation
12" MAXI
CORE 017
06/2003
ARTIST PAGE
Info:
Betrieb is Ekkehard Ehlers. Ekkehard is a part of März (Karaoke Kalk), but also released a lot solo, mostly under the name of Ekehard Ehlers - f.e. on Staubgold, Bottrop Boys and Orthlorng Musork - but also as Betrieb on Klang Elektronik and Mille Plateaux.
Mapstation is Stefan Schneider. Stefan is a member of To Rococo Rot. With his solo project Mapstation, he released different eps and two albums on Staubgold: A Way To Find The Day and Version Train.
Betrieb -> Mapstation feat Ras Donovan: Ekkehard remixed two pieces done by Mapstation with the voice of singer Ras Donovan. The results are called New Directions (was released as a maxi-double on Staubgold also and became underground hit) and Gravity. The music Ekkehard Ehlers releases under the name of Betrieb is, contrary to the music he creates under his own name, very strongly related to the straight bassdrum of minimal techno. So it was obvious that the two now ready remixes should be published under the name of Betrieb. But, the careful way Ehlers treated his material, especially the voice of Ras Donovan, at the same time creating something definitely new,convinced all participants in this project this project would have to be born under the name of Betrieb -> Mapstation feat. Ras Donovan.
I"n the centre, near to the ear, the voice of Ras Donovan slowly melts. In it, the whole mythical history of reggae, warm and deep from the timewarp."
The voice has a timbre like the best reggae singers in this world, like velvet. Deeper into the room, Stefan Schneider plays his game. Mostly, he just marks little dots, first tones, then melodies."[FAZ] On both last Mapstation albums, the voice of Ras Donovan generated some numbers into real unique dub-electronics. Reggae in the music of Stefan Schneider became physical through this voice. No piece of music really sounds like reggae or dub, Donovan just lets this (very) old music flow into the fine music of Stefan Schneider, like a memory.
Ekkehard Ehlers was just as thrilled by the music of Mapstation as FAZ was and edited both numbers the classical way as remixes. The results left us breathless for months. Ehlers solved various problems at the same time, like: How do I get this music on the dancefloor? How do I preserve the magnificent soul Donovan has? How do I do justice to the flow of Mapstation music? Ehlers leaves the tracks the space they need to enfold. Microsampling and cut up-techniques make sounds and voices whizzing around, without breaks and the usual funk dogmatism of someone like Akufen. It rather sounds like an indeterminable number of imaginary Ras Donovans dances around a microphone that is dangling from the ceiling in the middle of a room. They appear, and disappear, shadowy and funky, but earthed as earthed can be. That is what this voice is able to do.
The music of Mapstation flows. Betrieb -> Mapstation feat. Ras Donovan flows ahead, with the 4/4 as a metronome. Ekkehard Ehlers preserves the flow, keeps the soul. Music without a beginning, without an end, like life itself: moments of joy cut out of time. We confess, we are hippies: the Grateful Dead of the straight bassdrum. A summer on the dancefloor. Music that never ends.
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