Zombie Nation - RGB

The casual observer may only be aware of Zombie Nation - aka German techno DJ Florian Senfter - from ‘Kernkraft 500’, a dancefloor-slaying club mega-hit in 1999. It may be galling that he’s never shared the vast success of, say, Deadmau5, but he’s far from a one-hit-wonder. RGB’ is the fifth Zombie Nation record, and listening, it’s easy to understand why he’s not reached those heights.

There is a distinct style and formula to Zombie Nation’s sound. Grooves are repetitive and honed to precision, over the top of the relentlessly juddering beats. All manner of strange noises bounce around on top. The overall feeling is rather confusing. It’s neither avant-garde nor club banger. It operates in a floating ether between the two.

The first half is loaded with more understated, low-key tracks. There’s little more to ‘Schoove’ and ‘Attic Sundays’ beyond beats and synth hooks. Many of the weaker tracks on this very long album are rendered blandly anaemic.

The second half is a distinct improvement; ‘Meathead”s appropriately brutal hook is invigorating, and ‘Suede”s crackling wall of sound mesmerising. By far the best track is ‘Tryouts’, which resembles cut-up rock, warped beyond all recognition.

There’s no doubt that Senfter is an extremely proficient producer and master of his own craft - there still remains something uncompromisingly thrilling about Zombie Nation at his best, but over the course of ‘RGB’ there’s an inescapable sense of someone treading water.