From the first track, an inventive neo-electro production with deep, stuttered beats and an inventive use of samples, it's clear that Martin Gretschmann is an excellent producer. On his own side-project holiday away from programming for the indie-electronic pop group
the notwist, Gretschmann displays all of the production talents necessary to succeed in the more intensive arena of listener electronica. Unfortunately, the very next track (it's also the single) is the downright cheesy computer-love cut "14 Zero Zero" -- complete with ancient analogue synth, skeletal beats, and all the vocoder vocals anyone can stand in one song. Despite occasional stabs at good production, the song is terribly tacky and comes at least two electro revivals too late to sound like anything but a mistake. (Of course, college-radio programmers everywhere were guaranteed to gush over the single.) Gretschmann moves on to embrace the distorted beats and beatbox flair of top-flight producers like
Squarepusher,
Si Begg, or
Amon Tobin; he shows many great ideas plus the skills to pull them off. It's a shame however, that the worst song here stands to garner him the most attention. ~ John Bush