| Few things grab my attention like a Benjamin Brunn
credit on the sleeve, and it’s particularly nice when they fit as
neatly as the one here. Area is an alternate guise for Canadian-born, Chicago-reared
DJ/producer m50. I’m not sure what the exact distinction is, but this
particular EP — for François K’s Wave Music — traffics
in forms of abstracted melodic house not distant from Brunn’s esteemed
body of work. Assured opener “LLPOD” has a tense dance floor
utility and an almost jazzy swing, but what makes it memorable are the sputters,
drips and steam jets animating the background, reminding of the atmospheric
eddies of Brunn’s “Raymond.” Its abstracted dub grooves
also put me in mind of, for example, Anders Ilar’s “Organza.”
Little details similarly animate “Respons,” a simple techno
builder that works small wonders with a robotic tintinnabulation bubbling
brightly at the track’s surface. My pick for EP highlight, “Missing A Few” is a lush soundscape whose design draws liberally from ambient electronics and IDM. Marimba-like synth tones, whispy atmospherics, and ghost-in-the-machine whirs and ticks give the track a fog-like drift. But “Missing” isn’t abstract so much as evocative, thanks to a distorted, elastic kick-drum that doggedly structures the diaphanous textures. Warm, shoegaze-dreamy but floor-ready pop, it takes me back to the finds I gladly plucked from Kompakt’s shelves back when I lived in Cologne. And, closing the record, there’s that aforementioned Brunn contribution — only his second remix of which I’m aware. Continuing along the path he’s pursued on recent Bine singles like “77,” Brunn works Farben-style melodic glitch and a fusion disco plunk (a la Isolée’s “Albacares”) into his “LLPOD” overhaul – a welcome compliment to the warm organics of Area’s trio. Chris Burkhalter | January 12th, 2010 | Little White Earbuds This is what I've been waiting for all day. I'm done with the bog-standard loop-driven fodder that is devoid of emotion or any dynamics - and so many people are doing it, zzzZZZZZZ. Anyway, this EP is great, and luckily for me, shorn of any of that nonsense. I'm particularly feeling Benjamin Brunn's remix of LLPOD which is excellent, as is the original. Interesting, listenable at home as well as useful for the more adventurous DJ. Bravo. Thank you! Paul Woolford Respons and Missing a few are dope! Love them! Kyle Geiger (Drumcode) Sounds good!! Danny Tenaglia Great group of tracks, nice and deep. Robert Owens (Trax / Compost) LLPOD is dreamy and funky tech. Stacey Pullen (Transmat / Fabric) Amazing EP, just up my strasse! Jim Masters Really feeling this - both LLPOD and the B Brunn mix are great, as is Missing A Few... really nice EP. Philip Sherburne (Earplug / EMusic / Urge / Pitchfork / Slate) Very interesting and weird record. Nick Höppner (My My / Playhouse / Ostgut Ton) Missing A Few is very nice, I will definitely play it. The Benjamin Brunn rmx also caught me, old school, melodic and very well produced. Marc Leclair (Akufen / Fabric / Trapez) FAVE IS RESPONS =) Cari Lekebusch (H-Productions / Truesoul) LLPOD is greatttt Agoria (Different / Infine) It's pretty out there and I like it Lee Jones (My My / Playhouse / Ostgut Ton) Fantastic release! My fav' are the LLPOD and Missing A Few! The Brunn remix is on top as usual! Ripperton (Lazy Fat People / Wagon Repair / Perspectiv) Very nice. Jennifer Cardini (Crosstown Rebels / Kompakt) Nice tracks!! I will play it!! DJ Hell (Gigolo) Been a big m50 fan for awhile. Missing A Few and the Brunn remix are perfect for those late morning/early afternoon sets. Soul Clap (Wolf & Lamb) Amazing EP Luke Solomon (Freaks / Music For Freaks) Cool deep EP Laurent Garnier (F Communications) With this release Area proves he is one to watch in 2010, with tracks like "Missing A Few" he is clearly pushing electronic music to its absolute outer limits, mesmerizing! The Benjamin Bruun mix of "LLPOD" is nothing to brush off either, lush deep house, soothing and hypnotizing but with a bassline boogie beggin you to shake. Stephen Hitchell (Echospace / Intrusion / Modern Love) Really warm cozy work, enjoying it. Jesse Somfay (Archipel / Traum Schallpletten) LLPOD is amazing! Konrad Black (Wagon Repair / M_nus) Stunning dissenting stuff. Like all the tracks, Benjamin Brunn remix is superb. Matthias Vogt (Motorcitysoul) Beautiful. Arnaud Rebotini (Blackstrobe / Output) Great production. Liking both the LLPOD and Respons tracks. Andy Graham (Sei A / Droido) Missing A Few best for me ... Brunn mix is nice stuff also... Charles Webster (Peacefrog) Wave Music still bringing it strong. Love the tracks. David Alvarado (Ovum / Peacefrog) LLPOD is excellent Michel De Hey Love this tripped out sound. Will play this. Peter Kruder (Kruder & Dorfmeister / !K7) Missing A Few is nice. Kawabata (Drumpoet Community) Nice tracks. Will Play. Stuart McMillan (Slam / Soma) Great production. I like Respons..... Ralph Lawson (20:20 Vision / Back 2 Basics) Excellent stuff. Love it. Thomas Schumacher (Spielzeugschallplatten / Electrochemie) Missing A Few for me here. Nice one. Frank Cochois (The Timewriter / Plastic City) Brunn remix is nice! Matthew Styles-Harris (Crosstown Rebels) Cool abstract techno sounds - like LLPOD and Brunn's tripping synth exploration! Ed Davenport (Liebe*Detail) Missing A Few strikes a chord in here... Jori Hulkkonen (F Communications / Turbo) LLPOD is my pick Evil Eddie Richards (Fabric) Liking all cuts here. Rob Mello (No Ears / Crosstown Rebels) Missing A Few is cool and the Benjamin Brunn remix is freaking amazing. Beautiful. Mark August (Morris Audio / Connaisseur) LLPOD & Missing A Few are both excellent! Kiki (BPitch Control) Another wonderful Wave release! Par Grindvik (Stockholmltd) Nice EP, very spheric! Benna Schneider (Harry Klein) All around proper EP! Full support... Tony Rodriguez (Brothers' Vibe) Good but weeeeell deeeeep. Darren Rock (Rocky / Xpress 2) Good EP. Lovin' LLPOD. Colin McBean (Mr G) Very classy deepness. Adam Freeland (Marine Parade / Global Underground) Stranded so far out into deep ocean, even a flare would fail to raise the alarm. Chris Duckenfield (Swag) Superb release! Brendon Moeller (Beatpharmacy / Steadfast) Lovely experimental tech house grooves here matched up with a really nice old skool Detroit banger from Brunn. Ric Mcclelland (Scope) LLPOD has a nice groove. Chloe Thevenin (DJ Chloe / Kill The DJ) Like Missing A Few. Real nice tripped out sounds. Jeff Samuel (Poker Flat / Trapez) Very good, love LLPOD Funk D Void (Soma) Really nice EP, loving Benjamin Brunn remix Glimpse (Planet E) Missing A Few and the Benjamin Brunn remix are great! Bastian Völker (Baaz / STHLM / Uzuri / Quintessentials) Oooh this is nice, all tracks are great with the original mix of LLPOD getting the nod from me. Lovely. Alistair Wells (Kompakt / Perc Trax) Liking the jazzy Benjamin Brunn remix. Ashley Beedle (Xpress 2 / Skint) Really nice tracks will support! DJ Deep (BBE) Real cool release, shit to get lost to. Jamie Russell (Hypercolour) One of the best EPs this year... mega!!! All four tracks are unique and interesting... Wave's output recently is pretty unbelievable. Patrice Baumel (Get Physical / Trapez) LLPOD is very tastefully done, subtle, full of tension... class! Jonny White (No19 Music) also charted by Sonja Moonear, David Alvarado, Catalepsia, Kone-R, Mitch, Soulclap, Itzone, Ksaen, Marcus Leu |