The second Staedtizism compilation on Stefan Betke's (Pole)
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~scape label again features some of the finest in becalmed, dub-influenced minimal techno. As the press materials for the disc intimate, tracks like System's "Red Click," Jan Jelinek's "The Village Vanguard," and Sad Rockets' "Cascais" seem to fit the mood of a walk through a city just prior to sunrise. Actually, some resequencing would probably form a travelogue of sorts that would take the listener through early afternoon. John Tejada's "A World So Wide" is the peppiest of the gang, a cross between Luke Vibert and Durutti Column; a jumpy, squelching rhythm is accompanied by an articulate but simple guitar melody. The lighthearted nature is continued through the likes of Nolte's "21st Century Schizoid Man or How to Lose Your Head Baby," which thwarts gentle keyboard melodies with blebs of glitch. Forays through a goofily warped vision of Jamaica flow throughout a handful of the tracks (Burnt Friedman & the Nu Dub Players, Beige), and the occasional dabbling with eerie jazz fusion also finds a way into the mix (Low Res, Kit Clayton). One really can't have one Staedtizism without the other; like its predecessor, it's a mere portal into the comfortably abstract sounds of ~scape. Andy Kellman, Rovi