Asmus Tietchens' second album takes a big leap from Adventures in Sound + Nachtstücke. His debut was rather cold and atmospheric. This one is quirky and dominated by the Roland CompuRhythm drum machine. Some people could see a filiation between this side of
Tietchens' work, and the naive electro-pop that briefly surfaced almost 20 years later (
Felix Kubin, Reznicek). But the original still stands strong. Of course, synthesizer technology being what it is, the music has aged, but the artist's unpredictability has kept it fresh. You simply cannot tell where these short tunes (nothing over four minutes, most under three) will go, even if they appear to be simple, even simplistic.
Tietchens displays a warped sense of melodism. His lines slip out of tune, notes bend out of control. Oddly, the drum machine is not aggravating, in fact it is given the perfect context to put its limits to good use. And the sugary-sweet appearance of the lighter tracks is offset by a few disturbing ambient explorations, namely "Miss Ann Trope," and the closing title track.
Tietchens is accompanied by the "Zeitzeichenorchester," but strangely, its six members all have names that are anagrams of his own.
Biotop was reissued on CD in 2003 as the second volume in Die Stadt's complete re-release series of
Tietchens' early works. The CD adds two bonus tracks presented before the album cuts, as they were recorded before, and mark the transition between Nachtstücke and
Biotop: "Futurum Drei" is an addendum to the previous album, developing the same kind of minimalist melody, while "Fast Food" introduces the drum machine for a little cha cha. ~ François Couture