F.X. Randomiz

by Sean CooperK?ln, Germanys enigmatic A-Musik label has produced some of the most fascinatingly complex reshufflings of experimental ambient and post-techno. And while his name typically only makes it onto his own releases, Felix F.X. Randomiz has been involved in one way or another with most of them. A contributor to the electronica etchings of such artists as Pluramon, Holosud, Schlammpeitziger, and, most notably, Mouse on Mars (on the groups popular Autoditacker LP and together with MOMs Jan St. Werner as Slow), F.X. Randomiz blends elements of each of those projects into a highly synthetic, vertical melange as solid as it is precarious. His cheerful, wobbly, sampler-abusing electronica is probably most in the vein of glitch-miners like General Magic, Mouse on Mars, and even some Atom Heart, but the sheer density of his tracks can make them all the more demanding on the listener. Randomiz finally broke out of contributor mode in 1996, contributing the standout version on Schlammpeitzigers Freundlichbaracudaremix ten inch, released that year by A-Musik in extremely limited quantities. His debut LP, Goflex, appeared on A-Musik in 1998. Similar in its chimey imprecision to many of the artists that in 1997-98 help put K?ln on the experimental post-techno map, the albums crammed, lo-fi flutter seemed even more avoidant than most.