Category Archives: Let’s Dance!

Switched On – Ben Böhmer: Bloom (Ninja Tune)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Ben Böhmer’s first album in three years came after an intense period of touring, playing more than 200 shows in 2022. The title, Bloom, reflects the time he spent reconnecting with making music, as he put it in a social media post, “a journey through change, self-discovery, and finding the right moment to ‘bloom’.”

His experiences are reflected in the lyrics, with the lead single Best Life finding a reflection from guest vocalist JONAH that ‘life is short and fast’. The guest roster also includes Lykke Li, Oh Wonder, Enfant Sauvage (of French duo The Blaze), Malou, Erin LeCount and Max Milner.

What’s the music like?

Slick, melodic and very listenable. Böhmer brings studio polish and class to his productions, which have elements of pop, trance and house but crucially make an emotional connection to the listener.

He is a flexible writer, too, capable of writing a floor filling anthem and following it with a down tempo treasure, as he does here. Martin is a great way to start, a piano-led beauty taking its inspiration from the piano of Martin Kohlstedt, whose intimate but bright loop powers the track.

The vocalists acquit themselves well – Lykke Li on the smoky Hiding, Malou on Beautiful, with its rolling bass, and on the slower side of things Erin LeCount’s Faithless is excellent, as is the closing instrumental Blossoms. Rust is coolly delivered, while arguably the biggest rush comes from Evermore, a brilliant song taken to the next level by Enfant Sauvage. Böhmer creates a heat-soaked atmosphere, encapsulated by Oh Wonder’s dreamy contribution The Sun.

Does it all work?

Yes. Böhmer writes fluently and the album is well structured, responding well to repeated listening.

Is it recommended?

It is. Bloom is a real pick-me-up, a force for good in the face of tough times.

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,329 – Saturday 12 October 2024

Let’s Dance – Roland Leesker: Searching For Peace (Get Physical)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

This is the long-awaited debut album from Roland Leesker, the German producer at the heart of the Get Physical record company for almost a decade and a half.

With a set of solo tracks and collaborations, he describes the first piece of work solely under his own name rather than one supporting others. “I thought it could be nice for a change to produce a few new tracks myself, focusing on what got me here in the first place: Music and the joy it brings, creating it. So this is me, Searching For Peace“

What’s the music like?

Not entirely peaceful! As it turns out, Leesker has a fine line in the production of house tracks, heavily flavoured with disco – and each of the cuts on this album make a strong impact. Along with the best house music producers he has a talent for translating less into more, so that what feels like minimal starting material becomes something really substantial.

To that end, Keep On is a slinky electro disco number, with a winning bass line. Let It All Go has a good, slightly slower disco strut to go with its sultry spoken word contribution from Dan Diamond. What Is has a flavour of Chicago house, nodding to a period that clearly influences Leesker – but doesn’t dominate his music too much.

Does it all work?

It does – especially in a dark room!

Is it recommended?

Very much so – a classy house album, tightly structured and delivering the goods one beat at a time.

For fans of… Booka Shade, Modeselektor, Gui Boratto

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,327 – Thursday 10 October 2024

Let’s Dance – Jamie xx: In Waves (Young)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

It’s nine years since Jamie xx last made an album. That record, In Colour, was a celebration of London in all its forms. This time around, he’s gone for a night out – and In Waves is the result, a concept piece to track his every move and emotion, naturally with the help of a few vocal collaborators.

What’s the music like?

In a word, thrilling. We begin with a blast from the past, a distant recollection of the late 1990s UK garage explosion – Double 99’s RIP Groove taking us straight back to south London. From there we are wrenched into the present day, with the multiple highs of Treat Each Other Right, and the dancefloor beckons.

Jamie xx then hits the floor running, and the central two highlights are the Honey Dijon collaboration Baddy On The Floor, a spring-loaded anthem with a touch of Armand van Helden about it, and the superb Life, currently soundtracking the goals on Match of the Day 2 in the UK, gets to work, its wobbly riff and vocals from Robyn hitting every conceivable spot.

Elswhere there are wins aplenty – from Waited All Night, with Romy and Oliver Sim, to Nobody and Dafodil, a multi-vocal extravaganza that doesn’t fully make sense but which travels through some fascinating sonorities on its way. All You Children, with The Avalanches, is excellent, while the closing Falling Together – while a bit cheesy – proves the ideal sunrise moment.

Does it all work?

It does – a brilliantly thought out album from beginning to end, loaded with musical fireworks.

Is it recommended?

Most definitely. When Jamie xx wants to dance, he has all the tools of the trade you could possibly wish for!

For fans of… Basement Jaxx, Disclosure, Armand van Helden, Groove Armada

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,317 – Monday 30 September 2024

Let’s Dance – Simon Field: Panda (Basement Records)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Panda is the new album from Oslo’s Simon Field, whose nine tracks look towards classic Chicago house for their inspiration while keeping a close eye on the underground scene in the Norwegian capital.

Deep, tech vocal house is the name of the game for Field, who has a number of key releases in his locker for labels such as Armada, Universal Music, Sony Music Ultra, Perfect Havoc and his own Basement Records, which he established to focus on underground house music with no need for commercial gain. Basement Sessions is a club series in Oslo, celebrating the underground sound.

Guests include Delphi Drive and Blichfedlt.

What’s the music like?

Simon Field has a persuasive way of blending deeper textures and bass with upfront four to the floor beats, making some very danceable grooves in the process. A little goes a long way in his music, supported by fulsome kick drums and subtly funky bass loops, as in One More Time (For The Panda).

The album takes off with PanAm, its raucous spoken word intro complemented with a cool riff, while by contrast F With The Energy is deep and dark, laced with sharp edges. Here With Me taps into those same qualities, with a cool vocal, as does the warm weather winner Not Even A DJ. Meanwhile Gone Gone Gone gets more upfront movement from its excellent riff.

The guests work well, Blichfeldlt panning across the stereo picture during Michael Caine, and Just Martina capitalising on Field’s rolling beats.

Does it all work?

Pretty much – Field’s dancefloor methods are effective throughout.

Is it recommended?

Yes – no padding here! Simon Field’s album is ripe for the deeper house music dancefloor.

For fans of… Luke Solomon, Heller & Farley, Camelphat, Mark Knight

Listen & Buy

For more information on the album and to explore purchase options, visit Simon Field’s website

Published post no.2,299 – Thursday 12 September 2024

Let’s Dance – Junior Sanchez: Songprints, Vol. 1 (D4 D4NCE)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Junior Sanchez is something of an unsung star in the world of house music, making quality productions since the 1990s and collaborating with the likes of Daft Punk, DJ Sneak and Roger Sanchez – to name just a few.

Collaboration is the name of the game this time around, too, with a host of vocalists lending their pipes to a set of songs the New Jersey DJ began during lockdown. The project has executive production from Dallas Austin, marshalling the eight guest singers into a set of productions compressed into radio edits and aimed squarely at the dancefloor.

What’s the music like?

Sanchez has struck gold here, his craft evident in all nine of the grooves on show – and with a series of superb, floor filling beats.

The album sets out its stall with So Hype, its deeper beats topped by excellent vocals from Mýa, and sets the listener down in a heap some 40 minutes later having danced and sung themselves to a standstill. This is thanks to songs like Higher, where Dawn Richard gets higher than anyone else to deliver a brilliant and catchy song.

Drip is enjoyably saucy, with lots going on in the company of Johnny Apollo and Cookiee Kawaii, while I Need More – with the brilliant Darlene McCoy – is a bouncy number. Sanchez uses solid four to the floor beats throughout, each lifted by fluid bass lines and quality house music production.

Does it all work?

It does. The quality level barely lets up, partly because of Sanchez’s skilful use of guests – and each voice brings a fresh perspective to his music.

Is it recommended?

Enthusiastically. Sanchez deserves a great deal of kudos for this album, which reinforces his credentials as one of the leading lights in house music. Great songs, brilliantly executed.

For fans of… Luke Solomon, Purple Disco Machine, Tensnake, The Juan Maclean

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,287 – Saturday 31 August 2024