To Rococo Rot

Paris 25 (Emperor Jones/Trance Syndicate)
by Bob Ham

Germans and their music… They just don’t quit, do they? Just when you think you’ve got all the little bands coming out of Krautville pegged, they wallop you over the head with another. At least, that’s my feeling when I came across this new EP by the trio To Rococo Rot. These guys have apparently been around for a couple of years and have put out more than just this one particular CD (actually only one other CD stateside, but knowing those prolific Germans, I doubt this is the last we’ll be hearing from them), but unfortunately, I’ve never come across their stuff before. It’s especially unfortunate for me now that I’ve heard the CD and absolutely fell in love with this group. Utilizing some intriguing instrumentation (a combination of synths, live bass, samplers, and a pretty twee drum kit), the group oozes out amazing soundscapes that completely fill up the room, like it were being filled with honey. And it’s that lushness that sets them apart from the other German electronic groups I’ve fallen in love with over the past few years. Whereas a group like Mouse on Mars can infect your hips with odd loops and samples and come-out-of-nowhere pop hooks parlayed with a pretty evident sense of humor, and a band like Kraftwerk can keep you intellectually interested with ironic use of computers and technology to exemplify the coldness of such technology, To Rococo Rot clearly goes straight for the gut, laying on the trance-like drones of their synth work with a laidback beat and a silky groove from the bass that spreads itself throughout your entire body so you’re either inclined to lull into complacency on the floor or just rock back and forth good and slow. And as I noted earlier, I would stick this group mainly in the electronic vein. Perfect for any chillout room or post-rave cooldown at the pad of your choice. I’m also excited to note that the first two tracks on this EP are remixes from their first album, Veiculo, which leaves me (and will hopefully leave you) excited to hear what that CD has to offer as well.
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