DWAYNE SODAHBERK
Unfortunately (Tigerbeat)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

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Dwayne Sodahberk, an eccentric Swedish scenester misfit, has been cultivating his diverse breed of electronic music since 2000. The release of his upcoming album Unfortunately marks a full length departure in a career filled with EP's, guest appearances and Absolut Vodka ads.

The music throughout the hour long album is robotic, tending toward downright apocalyptic in places. Done well, these qualities can work in Sodahberk's favor; they've worked, after all, as career cornerstones for such artists as Nitzer Ebb and Kraftwerk. Unfortunately, too much of Unfortunately sounds like a lost transmission from the most remote Siberian weather station still operating behind the iron curtain. For some, this degree of isolation presented by Dwayne Sodahberk's work is strangely comforting; to others, it serves as a point of alienation.

Momentum never really builds until deep into the running time with "Good Curse," which ascends well toward oblivion, and "Afternoon Shape," streaming with cool beats. By this point however, the album feels off track and deliberate.

© 2003 - Erick Mertz