As much as I love each and every one of Pole's other full lengths, or,
more likely, because of that fact, R comes as a bit of a
disappointment. This is, however, not a "new" record. It is a rerelease
of tracks from a 1998 single with some remixes. Thus, given that Pole's
music has become increasingly better over time, it is logical that this
would not stand up.
What we have are the basic tracks "Raum 1" and "Raum 2," with one
variation of each by Pole himself, two remixes of each by Burnt Friedman
and Kit Clayton, respectively, and couple of tracks called "Raum 3" and
"Raum 4." The basic source for all of the material, "Raum 1" and "Raum
2," date from a period before Pole had really gelled into a distinct
musical entity. These original tracks are much more straightforward dub,
stripped down to the throbbing bass line, accented with some echoed space
noises and some glitchy clicks that prefigure the more distinctive crackle
that characterized Pole's later, more developed work. They are not bad,
by any means, especially if you enjoy dub, but they lack the abstract
quality and peculiar rhythms that make Pole's more recent work, 3
particularly, so compelling.
Some of the remixing is pretty interesting. Kit Clayton does some nice
cut-up work with "Raum 1," greatly improving the track, and adding a level
of energy absent from most Pole tracks. Pole's own update of "Raum 1," is
also very good, as the structure is broken up a bit, making the rhythms
more jerky, and using more colorful accents, like snippets of funk guitar
and what sounds like an electric piano. Likewise, his reworking of "Raum
2" demonstrates his ability and imagination much better than the original
version.
The bottom line is, if you already love Pole, you may want this for the
sake of completeness. If you don't, this will not likely convert
you. And if you are interested in Pole and have wanted to hear more, you
are better off beginning with either 1, 2, or 3.
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