Monday 12 December 2011

Chloe 'Watch Out' EP Review on Bpitch control

Usually releasing tracks on her own label ‘Kill the DJ,’ Chloe has now returned to Ellen Allien’s label Bpitch Control, an EP that is exactly what you would expect from the Parisian DJ.

Chloe has definitely excelled in hitting the chords that require you to move when hearing her tracks on the dance floor especially with ‘Chatterbox.’ With all three tracks delivering relentless techno sounds, your imagination runs away with you and ‘The Shift’ in your ear canals could almost teleport yourself back to Rex Club where Chloe is resident. There are dirty deep sounding lyrics in ‘Watch out’ that literally make you want to ‘watch out’ as you become more and more convinced that the answer to your problems is booking a flight to Paris to see her at Open House on the 17th.

Monday 5 December 2011

Berlin Calling

Beauty in sound resonates from memory as a result of our recent trip to Berlin. Surprisingly, such depth in music came from emerging artists and dj’s, while the well-established Plastikman offered an unrefined (the sound quality at Bermuda was arguably to blame in part) dose of some of the most profound sounds in techno. Disappointing! So to London, and Plastikman’s performance at Brixton Academy on Saturday, and sheer over-grounding made the artist, again, difficult to appreciate. But I’m sure it’s down to sound. When we heard Richie Hawtin perform as Plastikman in Frankfurt earlier this year, the set was consummate in its ability to transfer significant emotion across a huge audience. It was a real experience, a musical journey that was never before heard and we found ourselves in a state of awe as visual and sound joined forces to create an unforgettable experience. So naturally Berlin calling and yet again were drawn to Bermuda festival ready for another in-awe experience with Plastikman. Now in Brixton, having heard Plastikman in an environment better equipped to transfer his tracks then Bermuda (better speakers basically), London was busy, and even Plastikman couldn’t overcome this fact. There was little opportunity for us to lose ourselves in the music.
'Are we really getting old?' Post party questions, surely not. But as each party comes and goes there is little left with excitement and satisfaction. Undeniably, tracks of Plastikman musically fulfill your needs but anyone can play your favourite tracks, there just didn't seem to be any variety in all three sets that we have seen. A friend argued that we already knew what to expect, perhaps this was the case, but why should that be an excuse? A musical genius; Plastikman should really be giving each set a variety of tracks that encompasses all of his albums, he should also be taking into consideration that avid fans are likely to attend more than one showcase. Unfortunately this is not the case and both Bermuda and Brixton were as predicted, a replica on the first show. Interestingly enough the review on Resident Advisor seemed to have a similar opinions to ourselves which only confirmed our thoughts. Not what you would expect from someone trying to expand their technical horizons. It's not just about advancing in music, it is also about advancing in quality. Let's hope he doesn't forget his originality in February!