Tijuana Mon Amour Broadcasting Cold Jubilee (Of The Snowqueen) CD - Import

Post-rock as such isn't dead, but it is looking a lot less like the future the more time passes. That said, the German quartet on its fourth album does its best to demonstrate that rhythm-heavy, jazz-tinged breaks and general late-night moody funk aren't fully the preserve of the type of people who only wear corduroy and talk about tasty licks (and for that, humanity can be grateful in general). Having previously only worked in the musical realm, Tijuana Mon Amour add vocals on Cold Jubilee, thanks to guitarist/keyboardist Matthias Petzold, whose occasional semi-whispered parts are enjoyable enough if not particularly striking. (On "Day After," the overall effect with the vocals and piano in combination uncomfortably suggests the suffocating dullness of Coldplay.) As for the album as a whole, it's a pleasant effort though it, too, doesn't always succeed at being as uniquely involving as it aims for. Certainly songs like "Follow Me" work in the same realm of understated yet dramatic build that Tortoise's "Djed" established as a model some time back, but generally speaking this is a superior form of mood music that is well played and attractive enough while not really nestling in the memory banks. ~ Ned Raggett

Tijuana Mon Amour Broadcasting Inc. are Matthias Macht (drums), Heiko Schramm (bass), Thomas Heil (turntables, sampler) and Matthias Petzold (keyboards, guitar, vocals), and this is their fourth album. Based in Dresden, Germany, and deeply rooted in a love for instrumental, post-rock driven sound, the band successfully integrates electronic sound design, samples, turntable scratches and experiments into their sound, making their music a melting pot of styles and genres, attracting fans from pop, indie, jazz, dance, even classical camps. Cold Jubilee (Of The Snowqueen) marks a turning point in the band's history, adding lyrics to their instrumental kingdom. Heavily influenced by film scores and by the aspiration to merge sound and images, the members of the band always have images in their heads when writing and recording music. Cold Jubilee... takes you on an emotional rollercoaster which has yet to be built. The open-hearted, piano-based "88" combines the simplicity of Wim Mertens' melodies with a jazz drummer's early morning lullaby, "On Top Of The Mountain" hits you with a hypnotic bassline from Chicago with irritating yet assuring vocal samples, while tracks like "Day After," "Time Now" or "Dead Bill" are at the center of the "new" Tijuana Mon Amour Broadcasting Inc., showcasing Petzold's vocals on top of the finest tracks the band has ever written. Cold Jubilee (Of The Snowqueen) is the perfect companion for times when time does not matter.

Recording information: Helikopterstudio, Dresden, Germany.

Personnel: Matthias Petzold (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Sabine Grüner (cello).

Audio Mixer: Matthias Petzold.

The Wire (p.65) - "[T]hey capture a certain resonance and tautness, using deep pulsing basslines and sparse keyboard melodies as a launchpad for some vivid diversions."