- Label
- Domino
- Release date
- 22nd October 2007
- Genre
- Electronica
Not so happy birthday, Helvetica! German trio celebrate the anniversary of a font with austere electronica
Music has often been commissioned to celebrate anniversaries – from coronations and jubilees, to births and deaths. It’s not often a simple font is honoured in such a way. However, that was the task set for German post-rock trio To Rococo Rot: to write a piece relating to the 50th anniversary of the trusty old Helvetica typeface.
To do so, the band have deviated from the warmer, analogue sounds of previous album Hotel Morgen to create something purely digital with computers. Coming it at under 20 minutes, the result is 8 tracks of minimal, abstract electronica far too clinical to love. Of most interest is TRR’s methodology: drawing letters onscreen in their music package to see how the computer would play them. The results sound somewhat disappointing and with each track lacking any melody or groove to hold onto, it’s hard to see ABC123 being anything more than a collector’s item for even the most hardcore To Rococo Rot fan. Better to wait for their next full length LP in 2008.
More to try: Autechre: Draft 7.30 Boards Of Canada: Music Has The Right To Children Tarwater: The Needle Was Travelling
