To Rococo Rot are a trio made up of Stefan Schneider and brothers Robert and Ronald Lippok. Having been around for just over a decade this group have welded together making contemporary music accessible for all audiences.

Speculation is this band's brand new album which is set to wow listeners with a different take on their usual highly complex yet concentrated sound happenings.

Opening Speculation is 'Away', a dark piece with a good strong beat throughout, which sets the scene with strength and attitude.

This album celebrates uncertainty which really comes through in 'Seele' and 'Horses' both of these tracks whip up a frantic delight of percussion, keyboard and electric pulses to get your heart racing to. While 'Seele' takes a little while to get going 'Horses' jumps straight into action.

The guitar in 'Forwardness' adds a rock edge feel to it yet the light plinky vibe of the percussion adds a mesmerising oriental sound and approach to it.

'Working Against Time' moves this album forward in an electronic state, this is music for the spaceman! Not my sort of style but nonetheless it's quite catchy and when the guitar comes in it really adds depth and warmth.

Following the 'spacey' feel is 'Ship'. Although not as severe sounding as some of the other tracks on this album it is too repetitive and seems to go on and on even though it's only 4 mins, 45 secs in length.

On the whole this is a pretty neat album, it's definitely music for the contemporary listener but I don't think it would really offend anyone.

7

Helena Rea