MRI

by Jason Birchmeier
Few producers surpassed the success and acclaim of MRI during the rise of German minimal house in the early 2000s as chronicled by such labels as Force Tracks, Kompakt, and Perlon. This Frankfurt, Germany, production duo — Stephan Lieb and Frank Elting, who also record elsewhere — made Force Tracks one of the Force Inc. labels most embraced sub-labels beginning in 1998. A year later, Force Tracks released the first MRI full-length, Rhythmogenesis, a collection of three previously released EPs: Dauerläufer, II, and To Be Honest. The album garnered endless praise, aided in part by the simultaneous praise heaped upon another Force Tracks full-length, Luomos Vocal City, and Andrew Weatheralls Hypercity DJ mix for the label, which featured several MRI tracks.
The lingering success of Rhythmogenesis, MRIs emphasis on touring, and the subsequent Nightclubbing at Home EP set the stage for All That Glitters in 2002, the duos second full-length. Obviously, expectations were high, particularly given the growing popularity of German minimal house in the early 2000s. Even so, MRI again garnered substantial acclaim, this time for evolving beyond straightforward minimal house. The duo incorporated vocals on several of the albums tracks and also a more dynamic range of tracks, some more dancefloor-orientated than others, some more dubby than others.