- By moving away from Kompakt's long-running Speicher series for their latest 12-inch, Michael Mayer and Reinhard Voigt seem to have distanced themselves from that material. The two solo productions on Time Is Running find both label mainstays in a more serious mode than, say, "Transparenza" or either side of Speicher 2. You could draw parallels from this record to the 2005 stonker "Sky Dumont"—rugged basslines, forceful kicks, dour tone—but both of these tracks feel more self-aware.
Mayer's "The Stickler" is a moody slow-burner, using only a few gentle Rhodes chords to offset the gnarled bass and quasi-industrial drums. "The Buddy" follows suit with heavy low-end drones and a steely kick-snare combo, but Voigt knowingly winks every time he drops a dopey melodic sequence or a signature sample. Nothing on Time Is Running could be called daring or ingenious, but the record is a snapshot of two vets confidently wiggling out of their comfort zones.
TracklistA1 Michael Mayer - The Stickler
B1 Reinhard Voigt - The Buddy