Microstoria sounds like the inner workings of a computer dreaming in a quiet room. It is a delicate balance of digital debris and organic warmth, where the 'errors' of technology are repurposed into soft, undulating soundscapes. Unlike the harshness often associated with glitch music, this project prioritizes a gentle, immersive experience that feels both futuristic and strangely ancient.
What makes them distinctive is the collaborative friction between Markus Popp and Jan St. Werner. They take the clinical, conceptual rigor of Oval and infuse it with the playful, improvisational curiosity of Mouse on Mars. The result is music that feels alive, as if the software is breathing and making its own choices in real-time, creating a sonic environment that rewards close, patient listening.
Start with '_snd' or 'Init Ding'. These albums are the definitive blueprints for the glitch-ambient movement, offering a perfect entry point into their world of shimmering textures and subtle, non-linear rhythms. It is music that doesn't demand your attention but transforms the space around you once you give it.
Microstoria (sometimes in all lowercase) is an experimental electronic duo composed of Markus Popp of Oval and Jan St. Werner of Mouse on Mars, founded in 1994 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Their first full-length album released in 1995, released in Europe on the Mille Plateaux label and reissued in America through Thrill Jockey. Three further releases (including 2000's Model 3, Step 2) followed on both labels, and the pair continued working together through 2002. According to Popp, as compared to Oval, "Microstoria does focus much more on the playfulness of the overall approach," incorporating warmer sounds. Their second album, titled _snd, would be ranked as 44th place in Pitchfork's list of "The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time" in 2016. In 2024, Microstoria released a remastered version of init ding and _snd on double vinyl and streaming services through Thrill Jockey.
Shares minimalist, digital clarity, noise textured (production style); absent (vocal style)
Shares glitch, ambient techno, idm (subgenres); absent (vocal style)
Shares glitch, ambient techno, idm (subgenres); digital clarity, minimalist, noise textured (production style)
Shares glitch, ambient techno, idm (subgenres); digital clarity, minimalist, noise textured (production style)
Shares glitch, ambient techno, idm (subgenres); minimalist, digital clarity, noise textured (production style)
Shares glitch, ambient techno, idm (subgenres); digital clarity, minimalist, noise textured (production style)
Shares glitch, ambient techno, idm (subgenres); digital clarity, minimalist, noise textured (production style)
Shares glitch, ambient techno, idm (subgenres); digital clarity, minimalist, noise textured (production style)
Shares brittle, glitch, idm, modular synth (signature)
Shares granular synthesis textures, brittle, glitch, idm (detail)
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