Hmmm... - I only want love (MoonerISm Spusic, 2002)

Electronic collages, fuzz guitars, cute backing vocals, minimalist loops, exotic textures, the range of styles on Hmmm...'s debut CD is almost endless. Think of early Beck, Frank Zappa's We're only in it for the money, 1970s Krautrock, 1990s dance beats, Morricone-esque film music, cynical lyrics about power and powerlessness and you're only halfway imagining what this 'fresh aural sausage' sounds like. 

Hmmm... is the sound-making duo Mark Briggs and Herb Heinz. Their musical collaboration - which they call "an ongoing experiment to surprise itself and listeners alike" - apparently goes back some 20 years, and that shows on I only want love. Their debut CD sounds very mature and their clash of musical styles never sounds naive of forced. From the heavy introduction of Machine to the chillingly beautiful Army to the endless loop of PeasAndCarrots this is one heck of a CD. There's so much going on in this 'smorgasbord of thought-provoking dishes' that this disc will certainly not get boring after a few plays. 

Let's hope we don't have to wait another 15 years before the release of their second disc!

- Marco Kalnenek

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