[Firm]

There’s something to be said for a sultry, disaffected German vocal electronic tune. The first time they won me over was back in 1983 when Nena’s “99 Luftballoons” filled my ears with its soft yearning incoherence. One year earlier Falco did the same thing when he cooed cool warnings about cocaine excess with “Der Kommissar,” but I later found out he was Austrian so I’m not sure if that counts. In more recent years the Kompakt Pop series have catered to this penchant of mine for Kraut pop and steely synth tracks. Upon hearing Andre Kraml and Heiko Voss’ new “Unreachable Girl EP” on the Firm label I knew that little bell had been rung inside of me again. The Frankfurt native enlists the help of the honey-toned Heiko Voss to help him out on two of the tracks while Voss produces and sings on one himself.

“Uh, You’ve Got To Fall In Love Again” sees Kraml strap on his Superpitcher boots and go for a camp old march around the club while Heiko strums away on his guitar, delivering smooth rhetoric on the importance of trusting in love over, say, watching the TV or going partying every weekend. It’s the type of techno pop-tronic gem that has been done more than a few times in the past, but when it’s done this well you don’t mind hearing another example. Heiko Voss’ “Call Me Now” on the flipside gets remixed by Kraml and it’s a more subtle affair, Voss’ vocals a little harder and frostier. Kraml’s interpretation sounds very much like Codec & Flexor’s incredible “Time Has Changed” which can be no bad thing. The delayed chords are racked with feeling, which the lyrics only amplify further with their droll European languidness. The title track of the EP takes a similarly moody approach with sparse, organic percussion, whispers of Heiko Voss’ guitar creeping in and some seriously gorgeous melodies teasing out in the background. The three tracks seem to hold places in the progress of a night, from the upbeat groove of “Uh, You’ve Got To…” to the slightly mournful four AM thrall of “Call Me Now” and finally the sunrise bliss of “Unreachable Girl.” Sultry, disaffected and damned cool to boot.