To Rococo Rot has been at the sharp end of the German electronica scene longer than most.  For 15 years, the band has witnessed first hand the scene’s development and progression from the vantage point of its Berlin heart. During this span, TRR has admirably ignored any fleeting trends (electro, minimal techno, house) and instead has concentrated on its own tried and tested sound.  This theme continues with its 8th album, Speculation. The title is something of a misnomer – there should be no guessing about the musical style adopted, as experimental minimalism is very much the order of the day.

The trouble with sticking to this tried and tested formula is that nothing essentially new is brought to the table. While the execution of TRR's organic minimal approach is spot on, with excellent composition and production shown throughout, the album's overall feeling is rather tired. Back in 1996 when brothers Robert and Ronald Lippok and Stefan Schneider released their self-titled debut, they had the distinction of being at the forefront of a burgeoning sound. Unfortunately, by 2010, a myriad of like-minded artists have glutted the market, making things more difficult for the once-intrepid explorers.  The list of modern followers ranges from the more experimental Giuseppe Ielasi and Fieldhead to the more electronic Morgan Packard, Four Tet and Pivot.  When TRR stays on the electronic end, it stays satisfying, but it seems to have lost its willingness to experiment.

Speculation begins with “Away”, a guitar heavy jaunt that owes a lot to krautrock influences.  These seep through TRR, especially so on an album recorded in Faust’s studio in rural southern Germany. The mechanical, jazzy sounds are all over Speculation, often embellished with an electronic flourish here and there, adding a bit more substance to sometimes pedestrian tracks. “Working Against Time”, “Seele” and “Ship” all have a mechanical, hypnotic shell permeated by the live, organic nature of the instrumentation. When this organic atmosphere is coupled with a heavier electronic presence, TRR really comes alive; the joyful chiming and strong melodies of “Forwardness” wouldn’t sound out of place on Rounds. Unfortunately, too many tracks on Speculation lack this aforementioned dynamism; “Place It” meanders along, seemingly without purpose, “Bells” never progresses beyond its opening bars, and closing track “Fridays” is 10 minutes of futile droning. In these moments, Speculation is cold and robotic, almost alienating.

The best parts of Speculation arrive when this coldness is overcome, and the organic instrumentation, electronic melodies and mechanical sounds blend in seemingly effortless fashion. Mostly though, Speculation follows a tried and tested formula that is beginning to wear thin. Frustratingly, TRR proves on "Forwardness" that it can progress and develop, but rather than take risks, the act swiftly returns to its comfort zone. To Rococo Rot has a fantastic legacy that for 15 years has seen it mostly stay ahead of its contemporaries, but without a greater sound progression, this German trio will soon be left behind by the same artists who have revered it for so long.

-James Ould