This six-song EP finds Germany's
Schneider TM teaming with his sometime live collaborator KPT.michi.gan to make an album of warm, glitchy electronic pop. In terms of sound, this EP is very closely aligned with German artists like
Mouse on Mars,
Schlamapeitzer, and others recording for the A-Musik and Sonig labels. The focus here is on shaping organic synthesizer sounds and clicking machine static into a pop structure, and to that end, it succeeds. Layer upon layer of sonic minutiae make instrumental tracks like "Chotto Matte" and "Testton 2" more compelling with each listen, but the real finds here are the two songs with vocals. "Onnanoko" has a catchy new wave melody on top of a thick bed of sampled guitars and nervous drum programming. Even more impressive is "The Light 3000," which actually is a digital update of
the Smiths classic "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." Featuring a bright, shimmering electronic backdrop and heavily processed vocals that give the already downcast song an even more downhearted feel, "The Light 3000" is the rare cover song that holds its own against the original. Binokular is a solid EP without a weak track. ~ Mark Richardson