Wiki
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Release Date
12 April 2002
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Length
9 tracks
First things first, Farben is an alias of Jan Jelinek. He tends to release microhouse / dub music under this moniker, and Textstar is basically a compilation CD of tracks from four 12" releases that he recorded in 1999 to 2002. Starbox is similar, it's just a vinyl set instead.
Textstar is a strong showcase for the power of minimalism in contemporary techno. Most of the tracks have the classic four-on-the-floor house bass, but some of his tracks slip into different rhythms, seemingly laying down foundations for the sounds of dubstep that would get popular later on, albeit in a more minimalist palette here. Typically, the songs start with the introduction of one element - perhaps a percussive figure, a tone, or a melody. Oftentimes the songs build up from there in subtle ways as if it was a structure being built from start to finish all along; otherwise the elements will feature in more jazz-like manners like a theme that returns in the midst of a jam. Indeed the influence of jazz is important: melody is rarely the focus in this record. If there is melody at all, it's usually not a traditional pop-style presentation. Rather, the songs emphasize tone and mood over tunefulness. This is not to say that Farben's tracks aren't catchy or memorable, as the jazz of the album is also filtered in a minimalist way so the tones can seem like choruses or memorable lines.
All in all, this record seems to be an archetype for novices and minimalist fans alike. The swatches of color that decorate the outside of the record match the form of the record. It's a consistent aesthetic that rewards repeated listening, and in this case less is definitely more.
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