‹	APPARAT THE DEVIL'S WALK ALBUM MUTE, PLAYGROUND RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 REVIEW: NOVEMBER 15, 2011

The place was the Sonar festival, and the thing I remember clearly were the queues to see this “nom du jour”. In a festival as full as it was I can honestly say I had not seen any other crowds gather as much for any other artist at the whole event. I had heard Apparat in collaboration with other artists, including Ellen Alien and Modeselektor, but this gave no indication of the music I could expect on this album. Over a period of a decade there has been a sea-change in his style of music – from East Berlin techno to emotional ambient, yet he's kept his ever growing number of fans on-side.

So what is it about Apparat that appeals to the masses so much? Well, look at his back history – the guy hails from the electronics of Berlin – tick. He used to co-own Shitkatapult Records (purveyors of very dancefloor friendly techno) – tick. Then went on to make a rather brilliant album with Modeselektor, under the combined pseudonym Moderat – another tick. So actually you probably know him, even if you've not followed the name Apparat before (well, actually his name's Sascha Ring, but that's not the point right now...).

There are a lot of stringed instruments on this album, and they are blended well within the electronics – there is a real sense of clarity between the traditional and artificial, with some really excellent production if I'm honest. Songs such as “Ash Black Veil” bring this to the fore. This track, among others, also shows off the rather talented vocal abilities of Mr. Ring. Although it may seem strange to compare, I could liken his voice to that of Chris Martin of Coldplay, or even Thom Yorke of Radiohead (who coincidentally asked the Apparat band to support them on tour) – it is strangely euphoric while being melancholic at the same time.

Apparat's music actually veers towards experimental, yet there is very much a songwriting craft obvious in his approach – listen to tracks on this long player like “Song of Los” for evidence of this. The ambient elements, with a real pop sensibility for songwriting, create an interesting combination of accessible yet cool tracks that may give an understanding as to the popularity of this rather intriguing musician. Take my favourite of the set, “A Bang in the Void”, it is insistent, yet builds and builds in waves that take you with it while listening, you'll have been sucked in long before you have even realised it has happened. An album that you will enjoy and cherish if you are brave enough to indulge.

MIKE WHYTE