Now released in the US is the debut from Stefan Betke aka Pole, who's music created a buzz when he accompanied the Basic Channel label tour in the Fall of '98. This Berlin mastering engineer's moniker adorned many vinyl releases before two singles of his own music (on Kiff SM and Basic Channel's Din label) displayed his minimalist techno-dub creations. Dub and techno have been combined before, by people like Bandulu, but Pole's music is interesting for the Panasonic-style vinyl crackles and Geiger counter clicks that run a treble-y counterpoint to his gentle bass lines. These experimental sounds turn out to be produced at random due to a fault in his 4-Pole Waldorf Filter - hence his project name. You won't even miss the absent drums as Pole's less-is-more aesthetic takes hold. With the addition of simple keyboard chords Pole tracks like "Kirschenessen," "Fragen," and "Berlin" become hypnotic artifacts from a secret dub culture, as if remembered only by hiss-y, over-used plates.