Tempelhof – We Were Not There From The Beginning…

So they may not be everyone’s favourite knob twizzlers, but Tempelhof are a relatively undiscovered gem of musical talent. They have not yet hit the mainstream and given the nature of their music they are unlikely to be heard on the Top 40; yet their experimental electronica is fused with just the right amount of shoegaze to make their music all the more accessible. The edge is taken off the concise computer generated percussion of Aphex Twin that they weave through their tracks by the inclusion of a myriad of instruments, some faraway vocals and the intensity reverberating guitars.Their new release boasts a title that A Silver Mt. Zion would be proud of, and sets the precedent for the entire piece; if you call your album We Were Not There For The Beginning, We Won't Be There For The End, you’re going to have to make it pretty epic. They manage to combine the intensity of Sigur Ros, the lulling rhythms The Jesus and the Mary Chain and some Editor-esque vocals.Though the album starts a little weakly, it soon picks up the pace and gathers an almost oppressive momentum as it snowballs towards the ambitious last song which bears the same name as the album. Their music is layered with a myriad of influences and instruments that create an essentially seamless album that engulfs you in a conflicting clash of noise that somehow works together.Whilst each song on the album has a right to praise, those of note are; the beautiful ‘Song For Lily’, which incorporates much needed faraway vocals to ground the music; ‘Alice’, which laces sparse piano melodies over the gentle lyrics reminiscent of The Smiths ‘Asleep’; and ‘Enjoy Neukölln’, an uplifting mesh of sounds that demands your attention with vigour.But, good as they are, it seems that all of these songs are merely a prelude to the epic ‘We Were Not There From The Beginning, We Won't Be There For The End’, which begins with a loaded mesh of guitar and piano interspersed with an electronic melody that is not unlike the more emotional Cure singles, and slowly builds to an excruciating crescendo of noise and layered instruments.Whilst Tempelhof may not be the obvious choice for those who are adverse to a bit of ambient electronica, their hazy shoegaze/experimental hybridity means that they are well worth the effort of a listen. The habitual sporadic glitches that often make electronica a little oppressive are muted by guitars and faraway vocals, making it less intrusive. In short, Tempelhof have created a hazy mess of sound to immerse yourself in completely, and have done it rather well.

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