You probably know Jan St. Werner as one-half of Mouse on Mars (with Andi Toma) and one-half of Microstoria (with Markus Popp of Oval). If you're a hardcore fan, you might even know him as one-half of Dü (with FX Randomiz), or through his production work (he paired with Toma to produce tracks on Stereolab's Dots and Loops, and also Kraftwerk drummer Wolfgang Flur's solo album as Yamo), or maybe one of his many cameos (Pluramon, just for starters). Sometimes, though, a guy wants to be alone. On top of all these projects, St. Werner records solo as Lithops. This is the first Lithops full-length to feel truly like a considered album, yet conversely it's also the most challenging listen. Perhaps in collaboration St. Werner is forced to triangulate and find more accessible solutions to sound problems. Scrypt is St. Werner uncut, experimenting on the edge of his own imagination. Something interesting bubbles up more often than not. - Mark Richardson, September 2, 2003 for Pitchfork 1.Generator (05:01) 2. Self-Stencil (03:25) 3. Thrash Application (03:11) 4.Graind (05:51) 5. T O (03:12) 6.Play Through (07:25) 7. Attached (02:54) 8.Insections (04:22) 9. Folio Final (06:43) 10.Shift in Structure (02:12) 11. Arcart (04:46) Total playing time: 49:08
J**R
buyers review
Being the first album from Lithops, you have to remember that it's the bands first real try at making a variety of songs that will try to catch everyone's attension while still keeping their own sound. At first you wonder if their music has any sense as to if they tried to make certain patterns in the songs. But after listening to the album a couple of times you can see this in songs such as 'play through' which has no fluent rythm but has many subtle patterns in it, and 'shift in structure' which is a calm song which is fluent and tranquil while being experimental at the same time. A great first album from lithops.
K**N
Bad
Love of "Mouse on Mars" may tempt you to buy this...My advice? Don't. It sucks. It's pointless---juststray percussive elements that go absolutely nowhereexcept to annoy the listener waiting in vain for some creative spark.If you desire excellent other-wordly percussive electronica,explore the genius CDS of the Autechre, but leave thispiece of crap CD alone. It's really bad. The only reasonI gave it two stars instead of one is that there are novocals and I appreciate that, but otherwise this CD shouldbe hurled directly into an incinerator. It's b-a-d bad.
C**N
Amazing Noise Art
For noise enthusiasts or experimental music seakers, this is album is a holy grail. Scrypt is a beautiful display of electronic anarchy. Lithops (aka Jan St. Werner) has constructed a great compilation of totally botched synths and ruined samples with amp feedback and metalic screaching to produce a wonderous cacophony. Beats and rhythms are nearly completely occluded by a wall of sound effect. Its perfect for drowning your mind in. This album bears only a little resemblance to Jan's other suits -Mouse On Mars and Microstoria.
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