Alexander Hacke is a founding member of Einsturzende Neubauten. Danielle de Picciotto has been singer, etc., for bands such as Space Cowboys, Love Parade and many more. They've been married for almost 20 years, and this is the space where their musical worlds intersect. Both have wide-ranging interests, and previous Hackedepicciotto sets have struck me as thrown together affairs. Fascinating in their diversity of sound and thought, but too scattershot to engage me on an emotional level. They felt more like two people making music, rather than a duo truly collaborating.

Hackedepicciotto Keepsakes (Mute)

This album, however, is different. The sound is more intimate and refined. There are fewer flights of fancy (and noise) and many more moments of true connection. It's still easy to figure out who is responsible for a particular sound or idea, but there is a fusion on this set that I haven't felt before.

Fans of the older albums may wonder if this is still weird enough. Well, it's not EN, but there's really no chance of this duo making a conventional album. It's clear that the isolation of Covid is a huge influence, and perhaps that informs the warmer sound. The songs themselves attack all sorts of topics, as usual, sometimes with vocals and often without. The duo's ability to formulate clear thoughts with music alone remains a strength.

Does it all come together? No. But the underlying electronics do provide something of a touchstone for most of the songs. Hackedepicciotto isn't really much for repeating itself, and this album continues that trend. I hope Hacke and de Picciotto never stop exploring, and I'll eagerly await whatever comes next from them, either solo or together. Stretch your mind and let this set wriggle in.

Jon Worley