Esther Brinkmann 20' to 2000: July DM Noton/Rastermusic 20’ to 2000 is a series on the German Noton imprint whereby one CD is issued for each month of 1999. Both the music and the releases themselves are in limited and minimal form; each disc is a maximum of 20 minutes long (hence the 20’ in the title) and pressed with a limitation of 1 000 copies. The theme’s packaging is striking: the CDs are housed in clear plastic shells that hug the disc much like today’s slim-cases for cassettes. The CD case is bare except for a sticker with the logo for the project--a melding of an hourglass and the symbol for infinity. Because the material used for the case is see-through, the disc itself, and the information printed on it, is visible. As with the case, the CD is translucent save for the area nearest the center where the data for the audio is stored. Berlin’s Thomas Brinkmann is the artist chosen to represent the month of July, and a good choice considering his stripped down reworks of Mike Ink and Richie Hawtin recordings, plus the music on his Max, Ernst, and Max Ernst labels. Recording again using his late sister Esther’s name (she died at the age of 7 and Brinkmann often records under her name as a tribute to her memory), Brinkmann lets loose a singular track that builds from ghostly kicks and hisses to pick up the pace just as it ends. Perhaps a reflection on the hype surrounding the coming new year? Regardless, this is a remarkable effort well worth your time. --Andrew Duke Back to single reviews index