CD liner notes are often there just to ensure that everyone who needs to be thanked and schmoozed gets their two-cent stroke. Not so with German electro-industrial duo Haujobb. Instead, Daniel Myer and Dejan Karadzic, who've been pumping out accompaniments to imaginary Bladerunner sequels for over a decade, fill up an entire page listing all of their electronic-music inspirations, from A to Z. "Advent, Akufen, Ellen Allien, Asche, Aube, Autechre, Appliance, Arovane ..."
With that diverse and thoughtful background, it's no surprise that Haujobb's most recent album, 2003's Vertical Theory, on Metropolis Records, sounds more like a combination of industrial and house music (especially the Berlin-based "click-house" from the turn of the millennium) than almost anything I've heard from the ebon-clad realm. Tracks such as "Metric," "Renegades of Noize" and "The Noise Institute" mix a clubby vibe with liquid, almost soulful synth patterns. Others, like "Penetration (Fuck the Floor)," place ominous, soundtrack-swelled layers of string patches alongside Myer's vocals, which range from moody brooding to Bill Leeb-style gravel-gargling.
The word from Myer is that Haujobb's as-yet-untitled upcoming fall release will be its last, as will this current U.S. tour. In the four years since Vertical Theory, Myer has kept busy with several other side projects ranging from electro to aggressive power-noise, including the atmospheric, down-tempo duo HMB with Claire Voyant's vocalist Victoria Lloyd.
If the average members of the goth/industrial scene were half as informed about Haujobb's influences as they should be, they'd already have plenty of other music to listen to. But barring such sudden enlightenment, one final blast from their European cyber-heroes should be the next best thing.
Haujobb with Anti-Mechanism, Rein[forced] and Paralyzed Circuitry. 9 p.m. Thu., Sep. 13. Pegasus Lounge, 818 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $12 ($15 day of show). All ages. 412-726-2925
