Dehli9

Although his name will be forever tied to the non-prolific yet incredibly well-known duo Kruder & Dorfmeister, Richard Dorfmeister has spent most of his musical life teamed with schoolmate Rupert Huber. The pair have released four albums and as many full-length remix projects (as Tosca) in the same time K&D has yet to put out one album. And that is still not considering the time Dorfmeister and Huber spent playing together in Dehli 9, the high-school group from which this album takes its name.

Those who know only of Dorfmeister's more popular unit will be far from shocked upon hearing this release. No matter who Dorfmeister works with, the same lithe and soothing soundscapes come through in the finished product. Yet Dehli9 does stand out from previous efforts by programming more upbeat jazzy licks before running them through the familiar dub echo chamber. This slight increase in energy makes Dehli9 less a record for blunted evenings and more of a calming and focused companion perfect for getting through a day's stress.

Far more druggy is the bonus second disc, which consists of solo piano compositions played by Huber, and subtly rearranged by Dorfmeister in the studio. What could have been dull, avant-garde piano movements come alive in the space between the minimal notes where Dorfmeister works his magic beneath the note's resonance. Listeners will surely spend most of their time with disc one, but disc two is well worth at least one somber evening's listen.