**1/2 To Rococo Rot

THE AMATEUR VIEW

(Mute)

Among the many electronic-minded Germans cruising the musical autobahn in the post-Kraftwerk landscape, To Rococo Rot offer the smoothest ride. The artful Berlin trio's two full-lengths and an EP (which are about as easy to find stateside as authentic sauerbraten) spread out subtly melodic backdrops sprinkled over with resonant notes -- a sort of Teutonic precursor to the similar-minded French duo Air.

The Amateur View rides in the same stylistic lane, but To Rococo Rot's new compositions sound sluggish whenever it's time to accelerate. "Tomorrow" stacks up sounds one by one, starting with a mechanical drumbeat, then flowering into a collection of loops and buzzing synthetic wisps that spiral lackadaisically. If the track's meant to evoke procrastination -- as in, "I'll do it tomorrow and spend the rest of today plodding" -- then it's brilliant in a way. But like many of the other pieces here, it lacks dynamism. Still, the disc maintains a steely and maybe even naturalistic surface akin to Eno's Another Green World, yielding to the occasional pop melody when necessary. In the three-minute "Cars," To Rococo Rot parade electronic minimalism's charms, erecting a memorable little tune out of overlapping two- and three-note beats and intersecting guitar and keyboard parts. It's a non-vocal cousin of Trio's cult hit cum Volkswagen commercial "Da Da Da," and a reminder of the Germans' ability to tiptoe on the fine line between high art and pop cultcha.

-- Richard Martin