Albumsi

The year is 2019, and Jan Schulte is spelling out his vision in simple terms. Within the first few of Albumsi’s hour-plus runtime, our host lays out the mat, and welcomes us to the Galaxy, just as he welcomed us to Zum Paradies on Instrumentalmusik von der Mitte der World. There, he donned a Wolf Müller mask. Here it is nom de doof, Bufiman. The directive is clear: buckle up, as this trip advisor for countless left-of-the-dial dancers and deep thinkers alike is back in the hot seat.

Albumsi is the most accurate measure of the ‘man to date. Thick waves of bass lap up at an exotic shoreline of greenery and indistinct birdsong. Tunes swell, ebb, crest and recede over 6, 8, 13 minutes at a time. Are we in Goa or Grafenburg? Rasping synthesisers taking off on Well, Traumhaft and SFX like suction cups on Hoolock Rock suggest the latter. But then, listen to the ecosystem of competing animal voices on Apo-Calypso or the marriage of hand drums and wavering lead on Pantasy, and it’s impossible to be sure.