Clear Cut - EP

Album Review

It should come as no surprise that a song by Lali Puna written and produced in conjunction with Tim Simenon (aka Bomb the Bass) resulted in one of Markus Acher and Valerie Trebeljahr's hardest-hitting songs. "Clear Cut" essentially takes the basic elements of Lali Puna's woozy electronic pop, siphons the lush, programmed rhythms typical of the group's songs, and grafts on a Grade A hip-hop beat from Simenon. The original is then reconfigured by a number of Morr Music associates. Herrmann und Kleine push the beat further up in the mix, eventually distorting it after an extended break that illuminates the non-rhythmic features; Thomas Knak turns it into a fluttery twitch; Uwe Zahn's take is the most relaxing, coaxing new melodies without forsaking the hip-hop slant; and then the Kleine half of Herrmann und Kleine goes off on his own and comes up with the most tranquil remix of the group. A decent but inessential tangent from those involved.