Sachienne: Golden Prints (Kompakt)

Sascha Funke’s ongoing collaborative project with vocalist and instrumentalist Julienne Dessagne (who also happens to be his wife, not to mention recording as The Twins) returns with this new three-song EP. “Chambre Bleue” undulates patiently with heavy nods to dub and krautrock (without overtly leaning on either), but Dessagne’s alien vocals throw into an entirely different orbit. The combination of her voice and clever use of effects over a languid tempo makes for a really immersive and cool listening experience. “The Era of the Leopard” is more upbeat, sounding more like typical Kompakt at first, more readily mixable into a house or techno set. Dessagne’s guitar is accompanied by an abrasive sequenced, squelching pattern to lend it a looming severity that’s as claustrophobic as it is danceworthy. It recalls some of the darker beats of an act like Elektro Guzzi, mainly in its application of acoustic instruments within a dancefloor paradigm. Even though it’s the most accessible and DJ-friendly track, it’s probably the least exciting to my ears compared to the beguiling sounds of the opener and the weird, discordant fragmented, throbbing pulse of “Don’t Put Your Fingers in the Socket.”

It all has a vaguely vintage industrial feel to it, tapping into some of the rougher edges of early Cabaret Voltaire or the likes but not so destructive. I’ll admit that I was an early fan of Funke’s records on Kompakt and BPitch Control, but I haven’t kept up well with Saschienne since its inception a few years back — I realize now I should be paying more attention, because I find this EP to be pretty compelling listening.

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