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VARIOUS ARTISTS
Berlin Lounge (Wegram Electronic)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes
This is a double CD of modern lounge from Europe, Berlin in this case. There is a companion CD called Paris Lounge that came out earlier last year, Berlin was released in October. But don't expect 60's kitsch-lounge. Don't expect some sort of Goth lounge or Kraftwerk either; this is very cool, jazzy club music that tracks all the way through, DJ style. There's more than thirty examples of Berlin groups represented here and it's all excellent work.
Like the earlier compilation, the first CD is dubbed "Berlin By Day 12:00PM" and the second obviously enough is "Berlin By Night 12:00AM." Having heard Paris at the same time, I keep wondering, where's the Berlin sound here? The two volumes are nearly identical in tone. Maybe it's like the Euro, and what's really going on here is the definition of a single unified European club sound.
Actually there are several differences in the two Day discs. Where the Paris By Day CD is often jazzy, the Berlin By Day CD gets more soulful. The best example of this Berlin electronic soul is the deep slow and mysterious track "Funkhaus Soul" by Funkhaus. Even the Berlin Night CD seems a little more restrained and less danceable of the two. My early favorite there is Aromabaa's "Cupid & Orlando," which features some nice scat-rap work. All in all it makes for very sensual background music. Whoops! I guess that's the definition of modern lounge music isn't it?
At almost two hours and a half total, I feel like I haven't come close to plumbing the depths of these; there's a lot of artistry here. I like what I hear and I'll be playing both the Day and Night CD a lot; they're fun to have around.
Track List:
Berlin Lounge By Day
Jassnova - "Bohemian Sunset" * Fauna Flash Featuring Sugar B - "Mother Nature" * Knowtryus - "The Revenge Of The Bomberclad Joint" * Fellman & Louise - "This Is Us..." * Jaffa - "Sneakin'" * De-Phazz Featuring Karl Frierson - "Hero Dead & Gone" * Boozoo Bajou -"Under My Sensi" * Hacienda - "Mexican Dubweiser" * Funkhaus - "Funkhaus Soul" * Micatone Featuring David Friedman - "Still In Time" * Athome Project - "All In My Mind" * Shantel - " Elle Est Immortel" * Terranova - "Midnight Melodic (Chase The Blues)" (DJ Spinna Remix) * Nor Elle - "The Real Thing" * A Forest Mighty Black - "Tides" * Alphawezen - "Gai Soliel"Berlin Lounge By Night
DJ Ghe - "Afutatam" * Salvador Group - "Maksa" * Christian Zimmerman - "Diary Of Lost Girl" * Megashira - "At Last" * Truby Trio "A Go Go" * Meitz - "Can You Live" * Mo'Horizons - "Superworld" * Marschmellows - "Soulpower" (Jassanova's Straight Dub Mix) * George Levin - "When I'm With You" * Daniel Paul - "Outta Space" * Aromabaa - "Cupid & Orlando" * Terry Lee Brown Junior - "East 2 West" * Ian Pooley - "Sundowner" * Losoul - "You Can Do" * Isolee - "Beau Mot Plage" * The Timewater - "Sunset Walkin'"
© 2002 - Rusty Pipes