Originally released in 1996 and then re-released with its attendant remixes in a two-disc edition in 2004,
Members of the Oceanclub is an often beautiful, compelling listen that also demonstrates the potential benefits of collaboration balanced against a core vision.
Gudrun Gut herself speaks in the liner notes of her experimenting with techno and ambient tracks, leading her to want to create a 'loose collective' with the name Oceanclub. The vast majority of her collaborators were other female musicians, including former collaborator Manon P. Duursma and
Anita Lane, with her former
Einstürzende Neubaten bandmate
Blixa Bargeld the 'obligatory male joker,' adding his trademark intense whisper/singing to "Die Sonne." The music is very much of its time but thankfully, unlike much tedious swill that surfaced in the mid-'90s,
Gut's ear for inventive singers and strong arrangements make this something that avoids the traps of generic trance or new age boredom. Standout songs include
Lane's first effort "Yadiyadi," with her mantra-like chorus and an almost bluesy, guitar-synth wail hook from
Gut; Jovanka von Willsdorf's performance on the obsessive "Diving" (which musically sounds like a precursor to
Depeche Mode's
Ultra), and
Lane's other contribution, "Firething," which
Gut makes into a grand example of near-nosebleed techno. A couple of songs are more aimed for floating than dancing, such as "Tide" with
Jayney Klimek and the framing "Oceanclub" and "Oceanclub II" instrumentals, but there are enough odd jolts and sonic touches to the mixes that they don't become too easy listening. The remixes include both
Gut's own work and that from various other DJs, notably
Paul Van Dyk's monumental take on "Yadiyadi" and
Thomas Fehlmann's 'flow' take on "Die Sonne."
The Orb made another contribution in their series of dub-inflected efforts for "Firething," while
Ellen Allien made a good early bow in her own career with a spooked-out dub take on "Butterfly." The overall re-release is further highlighted by the inclusion of three computer-ready videos for "Yadiyadi," "Die Sonne" and "Firething."