Home > New York Music > CD Review > Ellen Allien, 'Sool'

Backstory: For the better part of a decade, Ellen Allien has presided as the queen of Berlin’s bustling electronic music scene. She runs one of its premier labels (Bpitch Control, home of Modeselektor and Apparat, among others); each of her acclaimed albums has showcased a fresh side of her sound; and, as a bonus, she serves tirelessly as a goodwill ambassador for Berlin and for techno as a whole.

Why you should care: Allien doesn’t recycle herself and, despite clearly having her finger on the pulse as a DJ and label boss, doesn’t hesitate to swim against the stream when it comes to her own work. She’s a major talent whose relevance transcends genre and geography.

Verdict: “Sool” may seem cold and sparse on first listen, particularly compared with her fantastic “Orchestra of Bubbles” collaboration with Apparat in 2006. But deeper engagement reveals every bit as much nuance and vitality as her previous work. For “Sool,” Allien teamed up with inscrutable Berlin producer AGF, whose background in sound installations helps shape the pastiche of sliced voices reaching out from beneath the glitchy, mechanical landscape. Against this backdrop, the breaks from form are startling; an ambient ode to a dead grandmother (“Frieda”) sounds especially tender, while the up-tempo standout “Its” feels almost vicious in its pulsing insistence.

X-Factor: If you listen to “Sool” and think, “I wish I could wear this music as clothing,” you’re in luck! Allien’s fashion line will be unveiling a series of “Sool”-inspired organic prints on T-shirts and mini-dresses just in time for summer.