This is the 25th Anniversary re-issue of Nothing that was the third album by Dusseldorf electronica act A Certain Frank who were the brainchild of Frank Fenstermacher and Kurt Dahlke who enlisted the help of Pascal Plantinga, Mike Daliot, Mai Lingani and Karin Knipphals. Whatever you do don't compare Mr Fenstermacher to other well-known Frank's particularly Mr Farian, for he is the certain one.
The album opens with Nothing with a short drum and bass fill, laid back ambient synths and beats take over, they beg you to say something, anything really, but the reply is Nothing, that is all she has to say to you, this is far too sultry to be a kiss off Nothing, but the time for talking appears to be over, instead you should sink into the languid beats and give in to your feelings.
Peace Again uses sampled car horns over a funky beat, a rain sticks always needed invocation to bring Peace Again, gunfire rimshots and guitar squalls shatter the Peace again, they are back to the drawing board once more.
Donde Vas has a deep tropicalia feel, heavy bass beats and slow building intensity the vocals being treated texturally, processed, giving this a laid-back chill-out room feel.
Secret Love builds an atmosphere where you can keep your Secret Love just that secret. The rumbling bassline and deliberate percussion strikes masking things, from those who might be upset at this liaison.
We Belong To Someone has neo-soul vocals over the deeply dubby almost trance beats, funky guitar parts, giving this a rather skanking edge and some soundtrack brass parts, before the sultry Sade style vocals make clear that although We Belong To Someone it's not to her.
Without You takes minimal beats, shaken percussion and slo soul breaks, helping to keep you chilled in your loneliness, being filled by the dubby drum breaks.
In The Sky opens with a trumpet part that makes this sound like the United Future Organisation with the repeating synth part and slow-mo drumming that allows the ethereal vocals to float through space with you.
Man Day a total chill-out, let the drugs do their thing and watch the colours on the walls tune, while picking out the Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye musical steals. Blue And White keep the vibes super laid back and chilled, ready for us to smile for no reason at all, other than it's a lovely day to hear this tune.
Find out more at https://shop.tapeterecords.com/a-certain-frank-nothing-4517 https://acertainfrank.bandcamp.com/album/nothing
