A compilation of three previously released EPs on Force Tracks,
Rhythmogenesis propelled
MRI from obscurity to the lofty status of being one of the world's leading tech-house acts. The individual EPs that preceded
Rhythmogenesis -- Dauerläufer, II, and To Be Honest -- had turned heads in the 12" market. Yet, when Force Tracks compiled those EPs onto a single-disc CD and gave it some marketing push,
MRI began turning heads around the world, including North America. Soon
MRI was touring Europe, appearing on
Andrew Weatherall's jaw-dropping Hypercity mix album, and remixing
Luomo. What
MRI does so wonderfully here is bring the minimal ideology of techno producers such as
Internal Empire-era
Robert Hood, Concept-era Richie Hawtin, and Studio 1-era
Wolfgang Voigt to the often generic house genre -- explaining the tech-house tag. While this sounds rather simple and formulaic in theory -- and already perfected by
Maurizio --
MRI brings a sense of nuance and elegance that transcends formula and theory. Furthermore,
MRI also incorporates elements of glitch, which distances it from traditional tech- or dub-house. It's no surprise then that
Rhythmogenesis propelled
MRI from obscurity to stature, setting the stage for a much more dynamic follow-up album,
All That Glitters. ~ Jason Birchmeier