Though they've since made an effort to distance themselves from the record, much of the appeal of Yamo's Time Pie is attributable to the talent of Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma of Mouse on Mars. The duo was brought in to produce and write for the debut of this project by former Kraftwerk drummer Wolfgang Flür, and the album was recorded in their studio. The contributions of St. Werner and Toma, judging from the music they themselves were making during this period, were substantial. Time Pie's "Stereomatic (Stereomagic)" even goes so far as to take the backing music from Mouse on Mars' "Stereomission" and add a dreamy vocal melody, changing the feel slightly if not improving the track from its original version. The title track is also reminiscent of the warm, detailed electronic pop Mouse on Mars had just crafted with Iaora Tahiti, with Flür's expressionless voice anchoring the chorus. Indeed, Flür's idiosyncratic vocals pop up more frequently than some will care for (fortunately, there are also contributions from better singers) but, if you can deal with his odd vision, you'll be rewarded with extremely catchy and danceable techno-pop.
© Mark Richardson /TiVo