After playing a vital role in the development of German techno in the mid- to late '90s under a slew of monikers, producer
Robert Babicz (aka
Rob Acid) appears on this full-length under yet another alias,
Atlon Inc. The new alias no doubt comes via his partnership with major-league techno label Force Inc, who managed to secure what stands as some of
Babicz's best work to date. Having abandoned his once trademark style of manic acid techno,
Babicz instead turns toward a light and rather traditional palette of techno sounds, comprised primarily of synths and drum machines, with a healthy dose of computerized polish. What's so stunning, though, is how he takes this fairly general palette and creatively crafts 12 songs that cover a range of moods. In fact,
Main Things plays almost like a compilation, as some songs lumber along with an eerie, foreboding tone ("My Way," "Wam Wam"), while others take a brighter approach, picking up the pace a bit and aiming for the dancefloor ("Silence," "Free Offer"). And then there are a few truly standout moments here such as "Alina" and "Melodisco" that employ a sense of saccharine melody perfectly. In fact, the only somewhat lackluster moments on this album are the few more track-oriented songs ("Portman"). This complaint is a stretch, though. Overall, there really isn't much to complain about on
Main Things. In fact, it's hard not to place this album on a pedestal alongside
the Modernist's Explosion and the better Kompakt EPs as yet more proof that Köln, Germany's techno scene remains ripe with new, lighter, and more accessible approaches to the genre.