Why did Richie Hawtin make us wait five long years for this latest installment in the Plastikman chronicles? Girl trouble? Car trouble? Tummy trouble? No matter, it's here and it's positively stunning. A collection of spare, angular and altogether unpredictable songs, the album begins so stealthily on "Ask Yourself" you're not quite sure when you first notice it knocking around in your frontal lobes. The trip continues through enigmatic tunes like "Mind Encode", the strange rhythms of "Slow Poke" and the aptly named "Head Case" (one of three tracks that clock in at around the ten minute mark) and ends with the frank admission of "I Don't Know." Yeah, this is Detroit techno - New Detroit of the People's Republic of Saturn maybe, about 3 blocks over from Sun Ra's place.
Like a truly great wine that unfolds itself slowly on your tongue, "Closer" reveals its intricate structures to the patient listener, bringing deeper appreciation with repeated listening. A box of pieces from different puzzles that somehow all fit together, Hawtin has again stepped into the phone booth and unleashed his super powers: It's a word! It's a game! No, look Closer - it's Plastikman!
