Notes
German techno mainstay Stephan Bodzin unleashes his full-length musical vision on the world in the form of Powers of Ten, providing another great insight into the melodically rich mind of this modern great. Bodzin says, Powers of Ten has been with me all my life and is named after a book that has been my background hiss, it's confusing truth is my only real faith and it's infinity shows me it's finiteness. The album is about harmonies, melodies, rhythms. It is an homage to Bob Moog, full of techno beats and sounds and space and party and ecstasy and dancing and listening, and crying and feeling. It is a journey, a philosophy of life, a view of the world, a vague perception. It is my wife, my children, my family, my friends, my passion, my enemy, my greatest fulfillment, my fear, my deepest peace, my power, all my love. As such, this album is hugely personal and is filled with cerebral messages and well-thought-out concepts. All this shines through and makes the listening experience all the more engaging from start to finish. Kicking off with the spine-tingling chords and louche beats of Singularity, cuts like Lila then continue to confirm that Stephan Bodzin has a classical understanding of melody that is way above average. Blue Giant, Wir, and IX all manage to be uplifting and thoughtful while simultaneously driven and groovy, and Birth comes on with a hymnal high note, long-tailed pads, and subtly shifting beats. The ghostly grooves of Zulu mark the majestic midpoint of the album, which then continues to seduce with spiritual synths and more beautiful melodies on cuts like Odyssee as well as the album's standout title-track. Unfolding coherently and in soothing fashion, this album once again proves that few producers in the modern world have a knack for melody and an ear for sonic ingenuity quite like Stephan Bodzin. Digipack CD with luxury gloss print and six-page booklet.
