Zombie Nation November 4, 2009

By now, you know “Kernkraft 400” by melody though perhaps not by name. But if I were to hum you the lead melody, sampled from a Commodore 64 game, seemingly composed with the famous “Sports Chant Remix” in mind, you would recognize the song easily, and perhaps slip into daydreams of lazer-lit raves. Zombie Nation soldiers on as the incredibly driving yet nuanced project of producer Florian Senfter, who has also gone under the monikers “John Starlight” and “Splank!”, one of the flagship German mixmaster earning appeal from Asia to North America with his infectious sound in the late 90’s. His solo work has been an exploration of underground electronic styles, from soundscapes, to drum and bess, to straight up buzz-saw techno. Of his new album, the BBC raves “After a decade of making such a seductive racket, Zombielicious marks a career peak which dazzles and grinds in equally exciting measure.”

Most distinct about Senfter’s body of work are his live performances, which many confuse for DJ sets simply because what he creates is so seamless, it’s hard to believe that any of it is being arranged on the spot. With a rig that includes vinyl turntables, mixers both new and vintage, as well as a few old school analog synths, Zombie Nation sets are a dizzying exploration into provocative samples and clever compositions.