Album Review: Steingarten by Pole

Stefan Betke (also known as “pole” for whatever reason) released his seventh studio album Steingarten in February 2007. Early on in his career he gained next to no critical acclaim, his music was often cited as either “to strange” or “to sparse.” Most electronica fans were turned off by his music because he doesn’t go under ambient, electro-pop, minimalist, or techno. For now I’ll just say he has a truly unique and original sound, I’ll get to details later.On Steingarten Betke moves away from his textured ambient-pop style that was found on his first three records and he moves into a more disjointed, glitch-inspired sound.

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After four years of hibernation, Stefan Betke's return to his own ~scape label should wake up those bored with the subtle clicks and blips of prior Pole albums. For a man who’s made his name championing minimalism, Betke has vastly expanded his palette, departing further from the lazy crackles of his earlier work and shifting full speed ahead into an entrancing dub danceland. His sixth full-length finds the German beat-tweaker keeping with the times and engaging the listener in a thump-heavy mass of meticulous movement.

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