ELLEN ALLIEN
New Life (BPitch)
An influential figure in electronic music scene for more than three decades now, Ellen Allien has been described as the matriarch of the Berlin techno underground. Her BPitch Control label, founded in 1999 and now known just as BPitch, has been the platform for the great majority of her extensive discography, including her 10th and latest album New Life.
From the off, Allien is firing on all cylinders production-wise: if you like your techno hard, fast and driving, this one’s for you. Save for a brief letup in the form of Mein Hertz, tempos are relentless throughout, marching through with stripped-back percussion and synths providing the hook.
It’s not just one of the tracks being titled Riot that gives this album its anarchic feel. Around the time of her last album, 2020’s AurAA, Ellen Allien was helping us stay connected with her pandemic-era Balcony Streaming sessions; with New Life, she keeps our attention with 10 stellar tracks.
words EMMA J SMITH
