glitterbug

Lovely review published in CDstarts. Thanks for the nice words and the incredible rating! You can find the original article here.

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Repetitive, aber intensive Soundscapes zwischen Deep Techno und Ambient.

Till Rohmann ist Glitterbug. Seine Releases lassen sich zurückverfolgen bis zu seinem Glitterbug-Debüt im Jahr 2008, doch es wäre falsch, hier einen Schlussstrich zu ziehen. Spätestens seit 2003 war Rohmann unter seinem bürgerlichen Namen groß in der musikalischen und künstlerischen Szene mit der Mitorganisation des c.sides Festivals in Israel involviert. Es ist sicherlich alles andere als falsch davon auszugehen, dass auch das nicht Rohmanns erste intensive Begegnung mit Musik gewesen ist.

„Dust“ muss sich also nicht vorwerfen lassen, mit Bildern zu geizen oder nicht in der Lage zu sein, den Hörer an entfernte Orte zu bringen. Glitterbug verdichtet diese Erfahrungen in seinen Tracks zu künstlich wirkenden Szenarien, die dadurch umso intensiver wirken. Dabei ist Repetition eines seiner wirksamsten und präsentesten Mittel. Wer sich jedoch voll auf die Musik einlässt, dem wird es an Abwechslung nicht fehlen. Till Brockhausen

British magazine The Skinny recently published a very nice little review about my current album both online and in their print issue. You can find the article here.

A companion piece to Gold Panda’s globetrotting electronic odyssey Half Of Where You Live, the second album from Till Rohmann, aka Glitterbug, is almost beatless for its first three tracks – following the by turns drifting and sculptured electronics of Dust and Silent Glory, 47th Floor’s syncopated, reverb-chewed beat sputters briefly into life, giving way to the spare rhythmic workout of Aparition. By the time you reach Far Far Light, a mellow slab of skeletal electro, you will be transfixed by the subtle, spacious alchemy of Rohmann’s minimalist production.

When The City was Bare, all twinkling synths and echoing, portentous drums, is a standout, as is the gently-tweaked proto-techno of 1st of July. Rohmann wanted to evoke “urban shadows of the forgotten, the stories of our cities that remain untold.” This is liminal exploration, like Eno’s Music For Airports, and ranks with albums by Konx-Om-Pax and Recondite as some of the most interesting ambient electronica of the past few years. [Bram E. Gieben]

I feel very honoured to have Sonic Router (UK) premiere the recording of our first live recording of our brand new show, entirely based on materials from my new album, Dust.You can find the full article here.

As a prelude to the release of his imminent Dust album, Glitterbug‘s kindly blessed us with the recording of the album release concert which took place in Berlin back in May. Stressing the point that it was recorded in front of a seated audience, the set drifts through live interpretations of his album material, showcasing the unique way the producer’s fourth album (but his first for Notown) builds, strolls and flows. Dust is, he explains, a record in-part inspired by Notown label owner, Gold Panda’s brilliant metropolis-evoking, travelling-influenced second LP, Half Of Where You Live.

“It picks up the pieces from that record’s celebration of modern urbanity and manmade things,” Till Rohmann (aka Glitterbug) says. “Dust takes this notion a step further and explores the urban shadows of the forgotten, the stories of our cities that remain untold, past landscapes that evaporated and memories left behind over time. It’s about memories, traces of things and people that were, urban sub texts and long gone landscapes and the life that inhibited these places.”

Incredible! On of the UKs biggest music magazines, Q, writes about Dust! It’s not often to see them write about music like mine, usually they cover the big players in the filed. But hey, I’m not complaining, just very proud!

Teutonic electronica plays tricks with sound and vision

Given he lifted his artist name from Derek Jarmans final film, it’s apt that Berlin producer Till Rohmann’s music has a distinctly cinematic feel, featuring ambient techno creations that often fade in and out of focus. Not that his fourth album, released on the label of UK techno maverick Gold Panda, is simply an electronic experiment in search of a movie. Each track evokes its own sonic world., with Silent Glory’s gentle bass pulses slashed through with bursts of white noise and Apparition mixing haunted atmospheres and jingling metallic percussion. By contrast the 4/4 techno of 1st Of July has an almost euphoroc surge, as if the otherwise introspective Rohmann had suddenly switched on his inner glitterball and overtaken by the urge to dance. *** Rupert Howe

You can find the full article here.

Autorenkino

Schwarz. Ein Summen im Hintergrund. Äste und Zweige schälen sich aus der Dunkelheit, der Boden ist moosüberwuchert. Dann Licht, ein wenig Helligkeit, die karge Landschaft zeigt sich. Aus dem bloßen Summen sind richtige Töne geworden, sie bewegen sich wie ein Uhrpendel in Zeitlupe. Plötzlich Berge, schneebedeckt, im Sonnenaufgang. Es ist kalt. Das Gestein sieht porös aus, rau, ein bisschen wie der Bass, der jetzt einsetzt. Darüber sanfte Glockentöne – so klingen wohl Sonnenstrahlen. Inzwischen ist der Himmel strahlend blau, nur der Kondensstreifen eines Flugzeugs trübt das Bild. Schön ist es hier. Und einsam.

Abspann. Schwarz.

Dust reviewed alongside Sharon van Etten and Coldplay… very funny! You can find the original article here.

“War der diesjährige Eurovision Song Contest nicht die höchstwahrscheinlich unterhaltsamste Nicht-Fußball-Übertragung des gesamten Frühlings? Ich würde dies beinahe verneinen, denn die von Barbara Schöneberger unfassbar dümmlich moderierte Aftershowparty vom Hamburger Spielbudenplatz schlug das vorangegangene Wurstspektakel noch um Längen.
“Finnland hat mich wirklich abgeholt, wo ich war” stammelte sie, dann gab es U2 für Trottel (Revolverheld), die verblödete deutsche Jugend, die Wurst hilflos mit “Er/sie/es” anredete, und natürlich Reamonn-Facharbeiter Rea Garvey, den ich seit einer kürzlich gesendeten Talkshow im hessischen Fernsehen leider ernorm sympathisch finde. Irgendwann – Helene Fischer spielte gerade grauenhaften “fröhlichen Mitmach-Pop mit Pfiff”, entkorkte ich den Portwein, drehte den Ton weg und legte “Dust” auf. Glitterbug! Deep Techno, industrieller Untergrund, zerfallene Städte, morsches Holz, Bergspitzen, Luftlöcher, Relikte im Rauchnebel und Regentropfen, die am Zugfenster herunterlaufen. Till Rohmann ist so etwas wie eine Geistererscheinung, und seine mal fragmentarisch, mal vollendet wirkenden Tracks funktionieren im Kaufhaus, “zu Hause auf der Couch” (Kai Dittmann) und unter Tage. Melancholisch? Schon. Aber auch warm, galaktisch und ausgreifend. Lonely press play. (7.2)” Jan Wigger

In German… Tim Thaler of bln.fm and I in a funny, serious and silly (in almost equal amounts) chat about music, life, and my new album, Dust.

You can find the article here.

Blazen maar. En zien wat er te voorschijn komt. Misschien wel iets moois. De Duitse technoproducer Til Rohmann alias Glitterbug heeft iets met conceptalbums. Na het even persoonlijke als grimmige Cancerboy (2012) – waarop Rohmann zijn overwinning van de slopende ziekte als centrale thema koos – draait zijn vierde album Dust om vergeten plekken en herinneringen. Om associaties en dromen. Daarbij blijft de drumcomputer meestal op de achtergrond.

Niet alles beklijft, maar op nummers als ‘Far Far Light’ en ‘Silent Glory’ is de warmte in de machines bijna voelbaar. Dat Dust op Gold Panda’s platenlabel Notown Records verschijnt is geen toeval. Na een ontmoeting in Amsterdam bleken de twee een liefde te delen voor complexe, moderne grotestadsmuziek waarin een groot hart klopt. Daar is niks stoffigs aan. Rene Passet

British magazine ‘The Skinny‘ puts Ronni Shendars video for dust in some very illustrious company… and adds it to their “Ten Rapid” selection. Find the entire article and selection here, or read below:

“In this week’s Ten Rapid playlist, we showcase videos from Savages, who share an atmospheric live performance; Richard Fearless, the main man behind Death In Vegas, makes a welcome return; Sweden’s Little Dragon go on a rural road trip; alt.rap star Akira The Don delivers his swansong; Kate Tempest takes on The Beigeness; and we deliver a triple (or even quadruple!) whammy of videos from female-fronted rock bands, with the new single from Honeyblood, the return of Courtney Love, and Garbage in collaboration with Brody Dalle. We’ll finish up with a live track from The Afghan Whigs, and some gorgeous electronica from Gold Panda affiliate Glitterbug. Everyone ready? Let’s dive in!”

“And finally, a track of stately, majestic electronica from Germany’s Glitterbug, aka Til Rohmann, signed to Gold Panda’s NOTOWN Recordings. Inspired by the work of Brian Eno and Derek Jarman, he makes the kind of expansive electronica that evokes stark landscapes and the shadow-play of natural light, and in the video, directed by Ronni Shendar, these are exactly the kind of scenes depicted. Deserts, mountains and riverbeds drift dreamily past the camera as the beatless electronic compositions of Rohmann pulse and glow. It’s the perfect end to our Friday playlist.”

Here are some very warm words about Dust on a platform that most likely usually doesn’t really cover my musical ground. I’m even more happy to read that they seem to really like my music! You can find the original article here.

“It’s not by chance that Dust is being released on Gold Panda’s label,” says Till Rohmann, aka Glitterbug. Following his 2012 LP Cancerboy – a breathtaking release dealing with the producer’s childhood battle with cancer – Rohmann returns with his fourth record, and first on his fellow Chelmsford-based producer’s NOTOWN Recordings. Dust is, he explains, a record in-part inspired by Derwin’s brilliant metropolis-evoking, travelling-influenced second LP, Half Of Where You Live.

Dust does catch glimpse of the dance floor eventually – the glistening, cloudburst techno of ‘1st Of July’, for instance – but it’s paced to perfection in getting there. The record gradually descends into thick pools of amorphous drones that fizzle out as they reach their end, with haunting echoes disorientating the listener’s compass and low bass hums providing an uneasy grounding for each track to stand on.