Beatdenker returns. The eclectic Berliner is back with more whimsical and unsettling electronic compositions that are fragmented, challenging, and inquisitive.
Based in Berlin, Beatdenker might be that one electronic music producer who’s too weird for the Berlin scene. Labeling himself as a long list of things, chief amongst them, Beatdenker is a guitarist, composer, and producer. He’s also a festival organizer, a traveler, and a part of the Berlin Subwater Beats collective.
I Like It But I Do It is Beatdenker’s latest release. Referred to as a one-track album, the piece runs for 20 whole minutes, and along the journey, it managed to defy every bit of my rhythmic and harmonic knowledge, and halfway through my second listen I found myself conceding to Beatdenker’s clearly superior knowledge. What I could make of the piece though, is its focus on rhythm and percussion, using what seems like a thousand different samples for kick drums, snares, and other percussive sounds.
The parts that feature discernable melodies are few and far between, with roughly the song’s 10th minute (starting 9:22) being the piece’s most standout section, melodically, albeit haunting, and the AI-generated video of humanoid figures making the experience all the more unsettling. The video itself is terrific, with sharp colors, visuals, and clear cuts between the composition’s sections.
I Like It But I Do It brings us more of Beatdenker’s eccentric, intimidating, rhythm-heavy electronica, that’s maybe a little more accessible than his previous release. For lovers of electronic and experimental music, dissecting Beatdenker’s latest work can provide you with homework for a whole month.