THN #086 [gate zero - radio over board]
“From Düsseldorf, Germany, hails Gate Zero who introduces himself to Thinner with his first own solo release on Thinner after the compilation debut on THN070 Crossways. The playing time of the tracks immediately reveal that these 9 tracks are quite compact and might look sketchy at times, however they are straight on the point and fill the playing time with a lot of content. Altough released not before today, these tracks are a little older viewed from the production date. More music from Gate Zero can be heard on Stadtgrün Netlabel and on Fax +49-69/450464.
Music wise these tracks are a little difficult to associate to any particular genre, which is a delicate factor. Pete Namlook from the Fax +49-69/450464 Ambient label characterized the styles of Gate Zero as “environmental music” - a description that comes very close on this release aswell, from our point of view. You will barely find any classic resemblings or reproductions of any concrete styles - all of it is the product of the multiple influences that are crusing within the musical mind of Gate Zero, waiting for destillation in tracks like ‘Crossing The Channel’ or ‘Moonlight Bath’.
The common factor of it all is atmosphere, would it be a shattered one as in ‘Take My Breath’ or a more loungey as in ‘Loop The Vibe’. Then Gate Zero adds minimalistic percussive elements placed on top of variable beats and unusual loop points. This melange of elements and the short playing time of the tracks make it all to an interesting listening environment, where also classical instruments as the piano and guitar is utilized.
The title Radio overBoard itself is a rather critical reflection of the commercializing and disembowling attitude of the music industry towards electronic music trends. Scouts pick up the interesting genres and begin to set up compilations of lousy selection quality that no one really needs, compilations that more pollute the music market then enrich it from the critical point of view. Thus the radio nearly lost it’s entire function as a transmitting device of exciting new music trends. Today the streamed content is a blatant body full of adverts to get the people buy the new products, where quality does not decide but furthermore the largest marketing budgets behind. Therefore, listening to radio has become obsolete - today it can be thrown overBoard.”
- crossing the channel
- take my breath
- loop the vibe
- moonlight bath
- prelude
- environmental osterath
- radio overboard
- trip illusion
- reprise