At the end of last year, Jo ‘Schlammpeitziger’ Zimmermann released new album Meine Unterkunft ist die Unvernunft to mark his 60th birthday. Now Kompakt add a celebration of their own, presenting the album in remix form, with a well chosen group of long-time companions brought together to pay tribute. Schlammpeitziger adds a tribute of his own in the form of a photograph of each on the hand-decorated album cover.
What’s the music like?
Hugely enjoyable. From the opening beats of Ada’s remix of Loch ohne Licht, it’s clear this will be a fun set of remixes, with the chunky beats supporting a fine slab of disco house.
The bass driven Schlammpeitziger goes deeper, branching out musically to good effect in the company of Wolfgang Voigt, while Selten Gesehnes gets a steely edge to its piano from Stefan Mohr. Finally Parzipan, redone by Andreas Dorau and Zwanie Jonson, takes on a generous helping of Joy Division as it heads to the electro disco.
Does it all work?
Yes – none of the remixes outstay their welcome, and there is a really good variety of styles on show.
Is it recommended?
Enthusiastically. If you’re a Kompakt fan, look no further – this sort of package shows how fun a good remix album can be!
Listen / Buy
Published post no.2,419 – Wednesday 22 January 2025
As every year passes, it seems to me the importance of music and culture in our lives gets ever greater. Unfortunately this is not recognised by the vast majority of our politicians or those in education. Shouting our love of music from the rooftops is therefore more important than ever! It’s something Arcana has done for nearly 10 years…and as we close in on that special anniversary we do so with a mixture of thankfulness and regret.
I am incredibly grateful to have the new music that we have enjoyed together – and to have Richard Whitehouse giving regular despatches and typically probing insight from Birmingham and the classical recording world. This is along with John Earls whose London gig-going and home reading contributions have been incredibly welcome – along with a couple of very welcome reports from Jon Jacob.
My principal regret with Arcana is that I don’t have enough time to devote to it, with a day job that takes care of the working hours – but I do feel incredibly privileged to be able to bring to you another set of thoughts on the best of 2024 as experienced on these pages.
As you may know Arcana tends to focus on music we either like or are likely to enjoy. This means the review pages tend to celebrate more than criticize, though rest assured we won’t hesitate to if we need to! I see this sort of site as a place for communal enjoyment, to share what we love – with classical and electronic music as two main points of reference, with rock and pop orbiting close around. There are no rules to what we cover, and if it’s good it’s more likely to be written about! On which note…
Right on the junction between classical and electronic sits Belle Chen, whose inventive Ravel in the Forest, on the excellent Platoon label, cast an enchanting spell with its tasteful reimagining of the French master’s music. Also occupying this space is Erland Cooper, whose Carve The Runes…was a culmination of a captivating story of loss and recovery – and Debbie Wiseman, whose spellbinding music for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light captured our hearts.
Now you might be following Kim’s advice on one of her singles to head for The Coast…but whether you are or not, we at Arcana thank you for reading our articles this year and for your general encouragement. We’re taking a break for a couple of weeks, but look forward to returning in 2025 for another year of music, new and old. If you want to contribute, do get in touch…but for now, Merry Christmas and / or Happy Holidays, and here’s to another year of sharing music we love.
Ben Hogwood editor, Arcana.fm
Published post no.2,403 – Tuesday 24 December 2024
Let legendary French DJ Laurent Garnier take up the story:
“Clubs have been my second home since the start of my career. Once you’ve witnessed that unique connection you can create in a club with a crowd, once you’ve experienced it from behind the decks, you just know you are where you’re meant to be. This special journey with fabric is of course a tribute to the legendary London club – a place that’s been a home to so many clubbers, DJs and music-lovers for so many years – but most of all, a tribute to all the dancefloors and all the clubs around the world.”
Garnier presents four mixes that express his love of Fabric – The House Odyssey, Rhythmic Resonance, Into The Low-End and The Way Home.
What’s the music like?
As you might expect, Garnier delivers a mixing tour de force.
The House Odyssey hits the floor dancing after a short introduction, running through some bassy moments with Aberton and Caiiro via Mike Dunn. There is some really nice spatial play on Terry Hunter’s mix of Deon Cole feat. Terisa Griffin & Terry Hunter‘s Where The Freaks At, which Garnier segues into Demarkus Lewis & DJ Lady D’s A Deep-Felt Love. By Skatman’s What you Gonna Do and Harry Romero’s Liquid Samba things are really pumping, Junior Sanchez’ Strong Enough powering through to the end and the slightly Balearic feel of Basile du Suresnes’ So Good.
Rhythmic Resonance is brilliantly executed, a propulsive mix that finds an early high point with John Tejada’s Different Mirrors, building up strong momentum through the likes of Carlo Reutz, Lewy, Electric Rescue and Marco Bailey, by which time the beats are bouncing off the walls.
Into The Low-End is of course best heard on the right equipment, as Garnier heads for the bottom of the bass bin. It hits a percussive groove with Martin Badder & Maria’s No Two Ways About It, and by the time we hit Dismantle’s Hammer Time, things are really starting to motor. Garnier covers a lot of ground in this mix, with clipped beats, vocal doozies and some frantic rhythms that hit many peaks like Zero Zero’s drum & bass quickie Anything Can Happen.
The Way Home enjoys some much slower jams, with highlights including Adriano Koch’s I’ll Keep You Waiting and Dialog’s Book Of Life, featuring Benji. There are some really good smouldering late night grooves here, especially later in the mix from Richie Culver, Lorne and Melody Gardot.
Does it all work?
It does – and you will surely be introduced to a whole glut of excellent new music if you take on Garnier’s intricately picked set.
There is also an extra EP of Garnier exclusives to enjoy. Odyssée Maison, with Dan Diamond, is a housey winner, while the percussive Resonances From The D goes deep on the techno side. Playing With The Low-End goes bassy but arguably best of all is On The Way Home, an ambient beauty.
Is it recommended?
It certainly is. This is the closest thing to an old school DJ compilation mix you’ll encounter all year – and you are strongly advised to get on board while stocks last!
You can listen to clips from the mix at the Juno website – and get a full tracklisting from the dedicated Bandcamp page:
The Floor Is Lava is Michael Mayer’s first album in 12 years, since the collaborative long player Mantasy was released on !K7.
Here he is back on home ground at the label he runs, with an album tapping into his enormous experience as a DJ, conscious of his crowd’s attention span. “It’s a DJ album by a DJ that’s easily bored”, he says.
What’s the music like?
This is a fine piece of work, Mayer always conscious of keeping the dancefloor fully populated but getting a really satisfying ebb and flow as he does so.
The beats are established immediately, The Problem grinding into gear with deep beats and jazz-infused techno. Mayer’s beats are a prime focus on this album and they work to brilliant effect on the rolling contours of Brainwave, then the driving Sycophant, or in team with a superb, booming bassline on Ardor.
So good are the beats, in fact, that they are pretty much all you need – check The Solution for confirmation of this – but with plenty of goodness piled on top of them there is as much for the home listener to tap into as there is the club dancer.
Does it all work?
It does. Mayer takes his own sweet time with his solo albums, and the reward is a meticulous attention to detail on structure and production. Both reap their rewards here.
Is it recommended?
Very much so – The Floor Is Lava is a wonderful addition to the Kompakt co-supremo’s locker. Buy it and enjoy the compulsion to move!
For fans of… DJ Koze, Gui Boratto, Moderat, Ellen Allien
Listen & Buy
Published post no.2,369 – Thursday 21 November 2024
Agoria – aka Sébastien Devaud – is in the best possible position to bring us up to date on his sixth album, taking up the theme on his Bandcamp site:
“As a musician and producer, after five albums, I clearly know that my proposition will always be about diversity more than a single crafted sound. This is how I am: multifaceted, nourished by social human exchanges and my encounters in science, art, and technology. I have one life and different bodies. I can be physical and digital, technological and organic, house, techno, and soul. This album is about shedding light in a vertical period where the fight for truth and visibility becomes crucial, where Blockchain might become our right to vote. It’s about making complex things sound simpler, joining the dots. A proposition more than a promise: Unshadow.”
What’s the music like?
As varied as Agoria’s introduction implies, and in the main really well executed.
Agoria oversees a wide range of music, from the moody Heart To Heart, with STS and Sacha Rudy, to the twisty disco house that makes Getaway such a good track, in the company of Madison McFerrin. Olympe is a really good piano led number, with NDRK and Yacine Dessouki on board, while I Feel Good is even better, a hard hitter for the middle of the dance floor.
Atmospheric reaches are explored with Quiero and the dreamy Sunshine, with Dominique Fils-Aimé, and the only track that feels slightly out of place is the closing cover of Sheila B. Devotion‘s Spacer, which is effective in its own way but draws too much attention towards the original.
Does it all work?
Largely – and with no padding, Agoria’s structure for the album is pretty much ideal.
Is it recommended?
It is. Agoria writes music with plenty of hooks that is easy to dance to – and also demands repeated listening. Very nicely done!
For fans of… Cassius, Etienne de Crecy, Dimitri From Paris, Purple Disco Machine
Listen & Buy
Published post no.2,341 – Thursday 24 October 2024
Arcana.fm 