The Rorschach Garden – Pleasure Under Pressure (Digital/CD Album – Ant-Zen)
Philipp Münch launched The Rorschach Garden project in the late 80s. More than 3 decades later, he continues to revisit this enduring passion, fueled by the magic of analog sounds and a deep affinity for retro Electro-Wave and Pop music. Münch’s dedication to vintage aesthetics and production techniques is evident, yet he skillfully reimagines these influences, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. The album brims with pure nostalgia, with certain tracks and sounds evoking legends like Gary Numan and his contemporaries. Münch even pays homage to New-Wave icon and poet Anne Clark by offering a fresh reinterpretation of her classic “Sleeper In Metropolis”. While this record might not be the pinnacle of The Rorschach Garden‘s discography, it remains an undeniably engaging collection; an enchanting blend of ‘entertainment’ and ‘nostalgia’ that will delight long-time fans and newcomers alike. (Rating:7½).
Listen to “Twenty Billion Citizens”:
About The Rorschach Garden
The Rorschach Garden is the retro Electro/Minimal-Wave project of German musician Philipp Münch, set up in 1988. Münch is also active in Synapscape, Ars Moriendi, Mandelbrot, and Rasputin, among other projects. Different members joined The Rorschach Garden over the years, and the project was put on hold and reactivated more than once, with Münch remaining the sole permanent member.
In 2015 the project released “The Rorschach Dossier” on CD. In 2021 the album “We Are Vanishing” followed on ant-zen, and Münch talked about the project’s history in a ‘Click Interview’ with The Rorschach Garden on Side-Line.
“Pleasure Under Pressure”, also released on ant-zen, continues this retro-Electronics direction and includes a reinterpretation of Anne Clark’s “Sleeper In Metropolis”.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
