To Rococo Rot – ‘Instrument’

Drummer Ronald Lippok ignites the Berlin trio's otherwise passive eight studio album

When Berlin trio To Rococo Rot started out, nearly 20 years back, their music was labelled post-rock, before that meant wanky MOR with no singing. Having now racked up multiple albums of tastefully burbling electronics and inscrutable guitar oddness, ‘Instrument’ still suits the term: very rarely does it ‘rock’ at all, so TRR may as well have progressed beyond it. It’s by no means without merit, though. Original ’70s no wave lynchpin Arto Lindsay guests on two songs, his vocals bringing a sweet melancholy to the mannered jazz tinkle of ‘Classify’. And if their particular brand of ambience sometimes fades into the background, their semi-secret weapon – drummer Ronald Lippok – ignites tracks like ‘Down In The Traffic’ with Krautrock-like percussive fluidity.

Noel Gardner

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