Like those artists' bassy, dub-laden reductions of techno and house, Betke's work -- which appeared under the alias Pole, named after Waldorf's 4-Pole sound-processing device -- was about doing more with less. Snaps, clicks, crackles, and smudgy bass atmospheres occupied the whole of Pole singles such as "Tanzen" and "Raum Eins," as well as Betke's numbered 1998-2000 series of albums issued by Kiff and distributed to American audiences by Matador. Where most Basic Channel releases clung fearlessly to the throbbing momentum of 4/4 minimalism, Betke drew complex, intricate rhythms from the crisp analog haze, layering rich, ghostly melodies over multi-tracked tape hiss and a barrage of syncopated skips and stutters. Betke's tracks thus shared more with off-kilter Kölners such as Oval, Mouse on Mars, and Kandis than with his colleagues at Basic Channel. Still, his music retained the stark emptiness of Berlin post-techno, though it was more interesting -- and far less dance-friendly -- than the comparison might suggest.

After his numbered trilogy of albums, Betke briefly aligned with Daniel Miller's Mute label, where he released the 45/45 and 90/90 EPs, as well as a self-titled album, in 2003. These tracks offered a radical departure from Betke's past. They incorporated more pronounced beats, as well as appearances from rapper Fat Jon. Betke then returned to his own Scape label, a revered source of releases from kindred spirits like Jan Jelinek, Kit Clayton, and Deadbeat. Steingarten, a livelier and more adventurous set, was released in 2007. Although Pole output ceased, Betke continued to be an in-demand mastering engineer for singles, EPs, and albums released on Third Ear, Mute, and Uncanny Valley, among many other labels. ~ Sean Cooper