mev2 feat mittageisen : automaten (-6y edit)

Luna Coverdale, KSWV Radio Shockwave (US), September 2023

Thank you for the submission, great track! I would like to share automaten (-6y edit) as part of my radio show and add to rotation and playlists on KSWV Radio Shockwave.

mev2 feat mittageisen : automaten (-6y edit)

Andre Avanessian, RadioAirplay.com (US), Mai 2023

Managing to seamlessly blend its darkwave and German-inspired industrial techno elements together to great effect, mev2‘s 'automaten' is both a pulsing and propulsive journey through a retro-futuristic world that brilliantly hearkens back to the electronica genres’ more experimental and boundary-pushing phases. With its driving techno beats, metallic-infused sound design elements, ominous vocal layers, and haunting synths, 'automaten' transports its listeners to a cyberpunk-esque destination filled with wonder and awe, making for a particularly unforgettable listening experience that is sure to embed itself in many a mind.

The opening strains of 'automaten' manage to instantly and effectively set the track’s overarching tone with its sweeping sound design elements and deep, ominous bassline. The beat kicks in with a steady thud, like the pounding of pistons in some giant machine, driving the track forward with relentless energy whilst the added synth layers help expand the texture in a way that briskly envelops you.
As the track progresses, the layers of sound build and shift, evoking a sense of mechanical precision and power. The synths weave in and out of one another seamlessly whilst the percussive and unnerving sound design elements help add a sense of urgency and tension to the proceedings, and thanks to the pounding rhythmic nature of these particular elements, the listener is being continually propelled further into the depths of this retro-futuristic world with both a sense of conviction and purpose. It’s most definitely worth noting though that despite the momentum-creating relentless of the track, there are a number of engaging melodic threads that have been carefully weaved throughout that help to keep you fully engaged throughout.
Throughout 'automaten', the sense of being immersed in some long-lost world of mechanical wonders is palpable. The track is a masterful blend of classic techno beats and retro-futuristic sounds that transport the listener to a world of towering machines and endless possibilities, resulting in a listening experience that strikes the perfect balance between absorbing and harrowing.
In the end, 'automaten' is a thrilling and immersive journey through a world of industrial power and mechanical marvels. With its driving beats and haunting synths, it’s a track that will leave you wondering what else is down the rabbit hole.

'automaten' is an absorbing industrial-inspired piece of darkwave-lathered electronica and I can certainly see it strongly appealing to fans of the genre. Especially for lovers of music like Kraftwerk, Visage, Dark, Molchat Doma, Selofan, Dancing Plague, Cold Cave, Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy, This Cold Night, She Past Away, Bauhaus, Terror Forms, Soft Kill, Void Vision.

mev2 : geld (abstract-ambient-mix radio-edit)

Zachary Larson, RadioAirplay.com (US), March 2023

An electrified cruise through space, 'geld' by mev2 manages to spark the imagination while containing a sense of primitivism. This electronica track wastes no time in transporting the listener out of their seat. From the first few bars, it feels like the stars are streaming by before the bass pulse kicks in and reverberates through your entire body. While the energy is always growing and reshaping itself, it never reaches a tipping point. There are mechanical, watery, and buzzing moments, but everything is kept within an acceptable and enjoyable parameter. It is easy to lose yourself in the overall sound, or to focus in on the ever changing layers. With the release of 'geld', mev2 exhibits a wealth of creativity and expression that has resulted in a transportive and fun listening experience.

There are a few moments in 'geld' where mev2 seems to nod to the great musicians of the recent past. The initial theme, although subdued and gestural in nature, bares a slight resemblance to a fantastic track by Joy Division that immediately grabs the listener’s attention. Whether this was on purpose or a pure coincidence, it is effective and sparks joy with every appearance.

Especially for lovers of music like David Guetta, Daft Punk, Swedish House Mafia, Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Deadmau5, The Chemical Brothers, Vernon Music, Spicy Tempo, Nicole Lengen, Kevin Hockaday, Sweet Lily Love, Djnathan, Joy Division.

mev2 feat. toini : heart on bleed (turn into maniac)

Andre Avanessian, RadioAirplay.com (US), March 2023

Possessing a hard-edged style and an interesting approach to synthesis, mev2‘s 'heart on bleed (turn into maniac)' is an interesting deep-dive into the world of experimental electronica that effectively draws inspiration from a number of distinct dance-sub genres to create a track that feels very much its own thing. Fusing intriguing sound design elements with a minimalist-styled sense of melody, 'heart on bleed' places a firm focus on mood, effectively creating a strong feeling of atmosphere that feels both intense and somewhat provocative due to its relentless pace and abrasive sonic nature, providing a listening experience that is both challenging and strangely alluring.

There’s something rather off-kilter about 'heart on bleed (turn into maniac)' that I believe works strongly in the track’s favor. More often than not listeners are often hand-held through a piece of music through the use of up-front sing-along vocal hooks and a conventional sense of structure, yet this track refreshingly decides to turn these elements slightly on their side, instead opting for vocals that manage to still feel melodic yet strangely out of place amongst the harder-sounding elements that surround them. It’s an interesting juxtaposition that’s made even more striking by the sometimes repetitious nature of the music that very rarely lets up with regard to pace, overall intensity, and its busy texture, yet it works in a mysteriously absorbing way that manages to pull you in and keep you in for its runtime.

'heart on bleed' is a hard one to pigeonhole into any one particular style but it definitely edges into the realms of experimental techno, house, industrial, and trance styles so I would say fans of these will most likely connect with it.

Especially for lovers of music like Mr. Bill, Orbital, Dasychira, Ochre, Riley Ella, Matteo Tura, Orbital, Underworld, The Orb, Thievery Corporation, Chicane, Armin Van Burren, Deadmau5, Darude.

mittageisen v2 (mev2)

mPulse.com (USA), October 2000

Dear mittageisen v2 (mev2)
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the mPulse.com Top 10 Artist Electronic. We’d like to pass along an award recognizing your high profile on mPulse.com.
 

mev2 feat. toini : electronic biscuits

Girl the Goth, Sordid magAZine (EI), September 2002

The Swiss make great chocolate, famous clocks and very strange dance music. This EP is a taster for the forthcoming toini album and features three mixes each of two of the tracks, 'biscuits' and 'heart on bleed' all by Marco Repetto in collaboration with Bruno W aka mev2. The joy of these is that, so far away from the sharply segregated dance scenes in London, Ibiza or Amsterdam, Mr Repetto does not feel constrained to one style or another. As a result, this selection is one of the most varied and unpredictable you’re likely to hear. Everything’s in the mix here, as Raffaela F’s floaty vocals top ambient soundscapes with doses of house, electro tracks with an uplifting trance flavour and, particularly on the 'turn-into-maniac mix' of 'heart-on-bleed', a serious amount of Psychic TV’s hyperdelic acid house sound. This is essential listening for anyone who appreciates intelligent and unconstrained chill out dance music. The only problem with it is that its so varied, it gives no idea what the up-coming album will sound like, I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.

mev2 feat. toini : electronic biscuits

Federico Tozzi, Suburbia (I), June 2002

Raffaela F, aka toini, ritorna a due anni di distanza da 'amble' con questo mini CD di mezz’ora composto unicamente da remix. Due canzoni riprese dal suo debutto, 'heart on bleed' e 'biscuit', entrambe remixate tre volte, e il tutto con il marchio di Marco Repetto e Bruno W, aka mev2.
Il tratto più importante di 'electronic biscuits' è sicuramente la trasformazione provocata nelle due songs: da rock-folk a canzoni che mischiano minimal-trance, l’electro più lisergica e influenze che rimandano a Bjork. L’operazione tutto sommato è abbastanza riuscita, soprattutto per la scelta di non limitarsi a spalmare sotto la voce di Toini una qualsiasi base electro, ma scegliendo di scomporre la canzone di turno e rimodellarla, tanto che all’ascolto sembrano davvero canzoni diverse.
L’iniziale 'Heart-on-bleed (Turn into Maniac)' è la migliore dell’album, potrebbe quasi essere una hit da radio, e ha dalla sua delle vocals inserite in maniera del tutto spiazzante. Nessun rimando all’originale, la voce di Rafaela diventa uno strumento a se e serve per rendere il tutto più ipnotico e profondo. Si prosegue con due versioni brevi di 'biscuit', dove il sound inizia a spostarsi sempre di più verso la minimal trance, fino ad arrivare alle tre tracks finali, in cui la sperimentazione e la progressione sonora la fanno da padrona. Il problema è che remixare un brano di poco più di tre minuti in due versioni che sommate superano i sedici non è poi così facile, e infatti le versioni più estese sono anche le più deboli. Alla fine si confondono e non lasciano il segno.
Dalla parte di mev2 feat. toini la scelta di realizzare un lavoro di remix 'intelligenti', contro di lei la durata eccessiva di alcuni brani e una scelta di sonorità che spesso rientrano nella media del genere.

mev2 feat. toini : electronic biscuits

Marc Urselli-Schärer, Chain D.L.K. (I), May 2002

Swiss female electronic artist Raffaela F (previously with rock-wave band Micro Kids), aka toini, is back with a remix CD following her full length album 'amble'. 'electronic biscuits' contains 6 remixes by skillful producer/remixer/DJ Marco Repetto in collaboration with Bruno W aka mev2.
'electronic biscuits' is experimental electronic mixed with minimal techno and hi-pass filtered vocals in the style of Kirlian Camera’s recent techno journeys (but less apocalyptic and claustrophobic) and with influences that range from the Detroit style and stuff like Jeff Mills to the more experimental, freaky, weird and wired things out there… Vocal loops and far-away hi-freq vocal parts, drum machine sounds and driving kicks, vocoder sounds, synthetic pads etc, it’s all there, all you need is the lights and a heavy-duty amp!
Unfortunately I don’t have 'amble' here with me and I can’t remember how it sounded, but I think this is totally different stuff, proof that a good remixer is able to give songs a whole new life by turning them into autonomous compositions, which is what I think should be the goal of every remix (not like some other producers who think they can just sync a 4/4 tekkno kick sample and the remix is well and done!).
PS: For those of you who’re into dadaism/situationism, I found out with great surprise and pleasure that mital-U has some interesting information on their site about that.

mittageisen v2 : geld – arbeit

Girl the Goth, Sordid magAZine (EI), Februar 1999

Fast forward quite a few years and we’ve got mittageisen v2, Bruno W and Co. are back with a hint of things to come, four mixes of a new track ‘Geld’, and ‘Arbeit (nur für automaten)’ which is automaten reconstructed. Bizarre as it may seem, they seem more in tune with what’s hip now than they were then. This is strange Euro retro-electro that does seem to be all the rage at the moment (Air, Daft Punk, etc.). These two track don’t have the dark, brooding style of the old stuff, but they may be keeping all that for the forth-coming album. For now, they’re releasing a more mainstream electro single to try and attract attention. Smart move.

mittageisen v2 : geld – arbeit

Marc Urselli-Schärer, Chain D.L.K. (I), July/August 1998

The mittageisen v2 (whose name has been taken from a Siouxsie & the Banshees 1979 7″ and from a John Heartfield 1935 'Fotomontage' performance) are on the way to a new album but in the meantime they thought to release a mini-CD to present two brand new songs. And since the previous album was entitled '… everything is different … nothing has changed …' they oftenly thought of releasing two songs about the same social plagues of these days: the work and the money, two things that make people slaves… This three-tracks CD contains two versions of geld (money) and one of arbeit (work). The songs are more or less in the vein of the previously reviewed stuff, and personally I prefer the song arbeit as it is also somewhat more electronics-oriented.
For those who may be interested, the small independent label mital-U also released a 18 tracks compilation of CRAZY’s two vinyl records (the first Swiss-Punk LP indeed).

mittageisen v2 : geld – arbeit

Filippo Michelini, aktivirus (I), No.8 1998

La mia navigazione pazzoide in siti Web di lingua tedesca (che coraggio direte voi, ma non lo faccio tutti i giorni !), mi ha portato a scoprire qualche mese fa una band che tedesca non è ma quasi. Siamo a Lucerna in Svizzera, dove una piccola etichetta nata da poco chiamata mital-U si cimenta controcorrente e con una grossa faccia tosta a produrre o meglio a riprodurre materiale del filone dark-wave (cantato in lingua tedesca) che qui in Italia suona tanto di già sentito e di sorpassato, ma in Svizzera e in Germania ci sono una miriade di estimatori (basti pensare a riviste come Zillo e ai festivals estivi specializzati nel genere). Il curatore di questa etichetta è uno dei protagonisti del progetto mittageisen, che dal 1981 al 1986 si creò la sua cerchia di fans e fece alcuni pezzi abbastanza noti in loco. Li potremmo collocare in quel periodo storico, come dicono loro, in cui i Cure incidevano la mitica ‘Play for Today’.
Dei mittageisen v2 è uscito da poco un CD compilation con 14 pezzi che però l’etichetta svizzera non mi ha spedito. Ricevo invece un mini-cd con 3 pezzi 3, dei quali geld (Soldi) riproposta in due versioni simili. (pensavo un remix ma ci sono rimasto un po’ male). Quindi veramente poco materiale su cui tessere un esauriente recensione. Non si tratta di una reunion, bensì il progetto individuale e singolare di uno dei componenti di questo gruppo, che si butta in studio, assimila varie tracce e sputa fuori quindi due pezzi con i nomi altisonanti “Denaro” e “Lavoro”. (In Svizzera mica scherzano : quelle sono in fondo le priorità ! ! !) Questi brani sembrano usciti come sonorità pari pari dagli anni ’80, senza smentirsi affatto. Non sono riuscito però a capire ne dalle note allegate ne dal sito web se questi pezzi sono nuovi o riproposizioni. Mi ricordano vagamente i Depeche Mode prima maniera, quando erano nel periodo creativo. Aspetto nuovo materiale da questa etichetta da bravo nostalgico di certe sonorità darkeggianti.