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Artist - Soulphiction
Title - Do You Overstand LP
Label - Sonar Kollektiv
Released - 21.04.08
Posted 30.04.08
An essential LP for fans of Moodmann, Theo Parrish, Trus Me, Carl Craig etc. A great LP of jazz infected house music that is as deep and fresh as it comes!
Flute snippets and jazz piano keys over the loopy slo-mo deep house that is 'Chevy Estate' feat. Suzana Rozkosny opens the LP up with style. The first of many standouts and one that Moodymann fans need to check. The infectious Andreas styled house of 'Ghana Wadada' feat. Phlegmatic is the 2nd standout with its mad chopped up flute loop lurking in the background.
'Velveteens' is more hard hitting from the off. A jacking thing that gradually drops to some more gentle keys, making it a very good DJ track. 'Touch From The Past' is more in a glitchy house vein. A bit like the first Herbert stuff - high quality and a little bit catchy. 'Cargo' has jazz drums that underpin spiralling keys to create a Detroitian soundscape that will appeal to the more adventurous. 'Soul Print' is like a re-edit of some folky guitar number.
'Sun Children' is a gentle, hypnotic, string led groove that really draws you in. More Theo than anyone else. Think Build An Ark doing house music and you're on the right path. 'Prison Song' feat. Marcin Öz has been a favourite from the first play. Really chunky house music that is oozing the funk and sounds ace loud in the mix. 'Reclap' is like a stripped down Seiji track and is full of beats, bass, percussion and little edits.
'Darkest Berry' is a lovely chilled deep houser - another standout for me, it's all about the soft strings, mellow jazz horns and cool arrangement. Proper 5am music! 'Reminisce All Over You' is a techy floor worker that revolves around mellow jazz keys and a solid bassline - another firm favourite. 'Whizzdom And Understanding' steps into Carl Craig territory. A wicked Detroit styled tech house number that is the type of thing we love - killer!
'I Just Wait' goes all head nod tempo wise. Full to the brim with soul, this lovely chiller is the kind of thing that you want to hear in a bar on a warm summers evening. Last but by no means least, the chunky house grooves of 'So What' round the LP off in style. Solid kicks, a funky shuffle to the hats, a piano loop and a vocal snippet is all Soulphiction need to make a hypnotic floor worker that gets stuck in your head and is a pleasure to drop in the mix!
Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT
Buy / listen to the LP at:
www.sonarkollektiv.com
Track List
01. Chevy Estate feat. Suzana Rozkosny
02. Ghana Wadada feat. Phlegmatic
03. Velveteens
04. Touch From The Past
05. Cargo
06. Soul Print
07. Sun Children
08. Prison Song feat. Marcin Öz
09. Reclap
10. Darkest Berry
11. Reminisce All Over You
12. Whizzdom And Understanding
13. I Just Wait
14. So What
Press Release
Following on from his 2006 album State Of Euphoria, Soulphiction (aka Jackmate
aka Michel Baumann) returns with a fresh new album on Sonar Kollektiv. As well
as having releases on Sonar Kollektiv and his own labels Philpot and Phil E, he
has put records out on Perlon, Playhouse, Moon Harbour, Liebe/Detail, DIY, Mule,
Resopal and Freude am Tanzen. He has remixed DJ Koze, International Pony, Dapayk
& Padberg, Egoexpress, Move D, Solomun and Eva Be amongst others, and recently
featured on the Sonar Kollektiv anniversary compilation Ten Years Who Cares?
Album opener “Chevy Estate” features gently plucked harp strings and the
luscious voice of Suzana Rozkosny, who also sang throughout the last
Soulphiction album State Of Euphoria. Her voice has a distinctive soulful sound
that really brings the tune alive. “Ghana Wadada” is a dark dance-floor romp
complete with haunting flute melodies and ethnic vocals. “Prison Song” features
Marcin Öz aka Berlin’s DJ Highfish, bassist for dance act Whitest Boy Alive. The
track mingles live bass with simple percussion to give this tune its mighty
groove. “Velveteens” is a stomping dance floor number - its sound is deliciously
raw, a long way from many of the over-polished productions one hears played out
in clubs these days.
Soulphiction remains true to his name, putting as much heart and soul into his
music as he can. Each track tells a story that carries the listener along,
taking the album in different musical directions as it goes - so while “Cargo”
is a pure swinging jazz number with an infectious shuffle beat, he throws in
some spaced-out synth sounds to give it that other-worldly feel. “Soul Print”
makes clever use of some TV western samples, held together with some able
acoustic guitar strumming… In fact, Soulphiction takes in so many influences and
spans so many genres it’s pretty much impossible to classify him. He knows full
well that it can be boring to do something that can be too obviously
categorised. You never quite know what you’re gonna get - the penultimate track
“I Just Wait” presents yet another shift with its twisted hip-hop.
While his Jackmate project focuses mainly on straight beats and functional
house, Soulphiction takes in influences from hip-hop and jazz, resulting in a
truly experimental feel. There’s a great roughness to his sound, which is never
too clean. Each production is restrained and minimal in the right way - he
doesn’t let things get too complicated.
Do You Overstand?! encompasses such an eclectic cross-section of so many styles
that it is simply impossible to pigeon-hole the Soulphiction sound - a true
fusion of every genre imaginable.
