Audiopile Review: If you’re among the growing legion of glitch connoisseurs, you’ll probably recall that Microstoria was a duo of Markus Popp of Oval and Jan St. Werner of Mouse on Mars. Those in the know will tell you Microstoria is objectively better than either Oval or Mouse on Mars. That’s a big claim, buuut… Microstoria is something else, that’s for sure. In this context, ‘better’ basically means ‘weirder’. Oval’s music can be pretty odd, but it’s always oddly pretty. And Mouse on Mars? Well, they just rock. But Microstoria made queasy, startlingly alien soundscapes. Almost 20 years later, the first two albums, ‘init ding’ and ‘_snd’ still sound distinctly strange. But they do not sound unapproachable. There’s something wistful, almost nostalgic, lurking under the slippery, glistening surfaces. Fans of William Basinski’s degraded tape loop meditations may recognize it. And while Microstoria music may be cerebral sound manipulation of the highest order, seeing this double reissue presented on bright pink and green vinyl is telling. Popp and St. Werner both have a sly love of bold, garish statements, and it’s this that lifts their collaborations above the forbidding murk. Really, something else altogether.Few records have weathered the fast-moving, fickle trends in electronic music like those of Microstoria. The duo brings together two of the most prescient, playful minds in the German electronic underground – Jan St. Werner (Mouse on Mars) and Markus Popp (Oval). Their albums as Microstoria are considered foundational texts in ambient music while equally sounding just as cutting-edge now as on their initial release. Continually cropping up in “best of” lists from the likes of Pitchfork and FACT while finding new fans through remixes by Jim O’Rouke and Stereolab. After being long out of print and coveted by collectors, the duo’s cult classic albums init ding and _snd now receive the expanded reissue treatment as a double LP, featuring remixed sleeve artwork based on the original designs and a full remaster of each by engineer Rashad Becker.

Nearly 30 years on from their original release, both init ding and _snd still offer thrillingnewrevelationswitheverylisten.Muchlikethenatureoftheircreation,these are records that reward deep listening. The expanded reissue of these two classic albums highlights their enduring influence and uncanny genius, standing essential titles from two artists still shaping the landscape of contemporary music today.