Only prior to hearing ?Deinetwegen? could someone ask whether another German electronic interpretation of the Blues is necessary following Ekkehard Ehlers? ?A Life Without Fear?. Both are captivating albums, yet aside from a shared country of origin there is little common ground. ?Deinetwegen? is a pop album, and closer to Herbert?s ?Bodily Functions? or Dntel?s ?Life Is Full of Possibilities?.

Antye Greie and Jotka have not dug up obscure blues records and sampled at will. They?ve instead taken the lessons of John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters and played their own 21st century version. As might be expected of a vocal experimenter such as Greie (aka AGF), the singing on ?Deinetwegen? is striking. Her delivery is breathy, predominantly untreated and mixed at a level where it interacts effortlessly with the music. It also gives the album a strong feminine personality, which for a male domain like the Blues helps Laub genre bend even further.

While the title track is full of instant pop gratification, songs such as ?Tofu?, with its Oval scatter interplaying with blues guitar, offers more sustained pleasure. So too ?Analog?, which is ?the information blues? and wonderfully funky. Greie?s husband Vladislav Delay is credited with helping out on drums, but there?s a healthy dose of his sound to be found in ?Schnee? as well.
?Deinetwegen? is a great example of cultural cross-referencing and time spanning music. Its experimentations are a compliment to its pop sensibilities, and its accessibility is a warm welcome for all those willing to explore this new terrain. 7/10 -- Sean Rabin (17 April, 2007)