A veteran of Germany's electronic music scene, Robag Wruhme released one of minimal techno's more idiosyncratic albums, Wuzzelbud "KK", in 2004. Since then he has quietly issued a handful of singles. In January, Wruhme-- né Gabor Schablitzki-- put together a sly, melodic mix for Cologne's Kompakt, followed in April by Thora Vukk. Released on DJ Koze's increasingly impressive Pampa imprint, Wruhme's second LP is an elegant, eminently listenable blend of chirpy beats, homespun voices, and sighing keyboards.
Wruhme's music has taken a path similar to that of one of his contemporaries, Isolée; tracks that once feasted on funny noises and unexpected pops have been smoothed over, like practical jokers settling into masters of the quip. Thora Vukk also has something in common with Nicolas Jaar's Space Is Only Noise; both are albums of modest treated-keys beauty, though Wruhme's music is deeply rooted in house traditions and tempos that Jaar's plays fast and loose with (or, more accurately, slow and loose).
Thora Vukk is a sunrise album, one that sits lightly. Its tracks don't build and peak so much as arrive and taper. "Brucke Eins", already a placid interlude featuring dollops of organ, ends with someone calmly pecking at a keyboard. Wruhme uses voices sparingly but memorably; "Pnom Gobal" features a back-and-forth between casual scatting and a string section. The closest Thora Vukk comes to cresting is a breakdown during "Tulpa Ovi", in which a skittering break comes to a stop for joyful call and response between a performer and a child audience.
It's telling that Thora Vukk's most memorable moment occurs when the music all but drops out, but it's also misleading. Wruhme's sound design is careful and deep; the album's homespun feel is in tone only (it would be lazy to compare it to the sweet, sepia-toned photograph on the album's cover, but, well, yeah). He leaves plenty of space between the muted chirps of his drums and those lovely velvet keys, and there's lots to be gained by playing the record loudly on a good system. Wruhme's career path and stature make Thora Vukk the type of album that never escapes the clutches of house connoisseurs, but fans of Jaar and even Four Tet will find a lot to like in its pacing and beauty.
