I’ve loved the last few Nils Frahm releases. Hungry for more, I’ve been going through his back catalog and collaborations. I listened to Tag Eins Tag Zwei for the first time while building some shelving in my garage. It didn’t grab me.
This a quiet album anchored by F.S. Blumm’s guitar work. His playing reminds me a lot of Doug McCombs, specifically the first Brokeback album. I loved that style when I first heard Tortoise, but grew tired of it by the mid-2000s. It sounds so Midwestern American to me it was surprising to hear it on a German album.
While I’m not in love with the guitar, I like F.S. Blumm’s other contributions. He adds a lot of texture with custom acoustic instruments and electronic treatments. It works beautifully with Frahm’s piano playing.
The guitar style was a turn-off at first. But, it pairs much better with electronics than standard post-rock drums and bass. After a few listens in a better environment than my garage, this album has started to grow on me. It’s not one of my favorite Niles Frahms albums, but it’s worth a listen.