Reviews:25

Marcin Czubala
‘Just Away’
Mobilee Records

Excellent series of productions from Marcin Czubala whose clever combination of soul and machine works particularly well throughout. Title track, Just Away is driven by shuffling rhythms, punctuated by electronic blips and has one of those fuzzy basslines which is at once unsettling but also eminently funky. The vocals provide the human touch and are underpinned by sumptuous pads to produce music that is also deep and, praise be, soulful in abundance. Not Like This, follows with joyous chords, more cool percussion and telling jazzy undertones as the aptly named, Pleasure Control provides another irresistible bassline and this time classy organ notes for definite dancefloor moments. The even more aptly titled Memory Lane trips out finally on a feast of insensitive sounds, some extremely fine vocal treatments and classic old-school stabs which are again certain to move you. 9

 release: 21 Nov 2011

http://www.mobilee-records.de/

 

Dualton & Wollion
‘Undisputed’
Peppermint Jam Records

Almost understated but not knowingly undersold this striking production from Dualton and Wollion features a notably poignant vocal refrain alongside a rush of keyboards and is offset by deep beats and throbbing bass. Remixes come from a tech flavoured Kabale Und Liebe, a neatly cut-up Autodeep and a twisted Mario da Ragnio who all bring their own interpretations to what is essentially a rather fine vocal.  8

Release date: Nov 23, 2011 

http://www.peppermint-jam.com/

 

200 Years
‘200 Years’
Drag City

It’s not music to dance too – I’ve reached track three and not a drum beat in sight – but when was just listening to music never enough. You may not be familiar with 200 Years – I admit I wasn’t – but Ben “Six Organs of Admittance” Chasny and Elisa “Magic Markers” Ambrogios’ gently melancholic sounds sometimes offer bitter-sweet moments worth savouring. At times this has a Country/ Folk persuasion, yet at others the tremolo guitar feels like it should be within a Tarantino soundtrack. The fact that the production is stripped back to organic voice and chords, with perhaps the odd splash of reverb, merely reveals its potential to charm – see Solar System below. The challenge with 200 Years is that the vocal deliberately strains its tuning quite frequently, which does create the intended unease against which the guitar and occasional keys are played, but quite how well that will work for you? Only time will tell.   7

http://www.dragcity.com