Review Summary: After his great debut album ƒIN, Talabot creates a 70+ minutes mix full of dynamic, diverse & beautiful tunes and is one of the best releases in the DJ-Kicks series so far.
In 2012, John Talabot made his excellent debut album “ƒIN”, where he combined Balearic house with playful, ethnic electronic arrangements. His music tracks feel free, happy, hopeful and atmospheric, which also gives them a melancholy touch.
Now he had the task to compile a DJ-Kicks album, which is a tough one, considering its 18-year long existence. The artists can almost operate freely and can choose any track they want to, unless they can be listened to them at home and in a club. While this has been well executed in previous releases (except Digitalism), John Talabot is following this formula very strictly and accurate. He is offering listeners a closer look at his earlier influences and the tunes which shaped his music.
His song selection goes from ethnic electronica to dynamic, soulful house. The main theme on this mix is defined by the first minutes, playing this soundtrack at 5am or in the night is extraordinary. It starts out slowly and you can feel, that the sun is rising and everything’s very tense, especially the Andy Stott remix. It’s the Harmonious Thelonious track, which instantly gives you a smile and makes the compilations vivid and free. It's capable of changing the atmosphere at once - hearing happy, bright sounds and in the next minute, it turns upside down and goes into a dark, serious direction.
The tempo of the mix increases from time to time. One track after another it constantly feels seductive and has similarities to "ƒIN". The 15 minutes after Alex Burkat’s Shower Scene can be described as the most beautiful moment of any mix in 2013. ‘Night Watcher’ is dramatic and straight, while #001 sums up the dynamics of the beginning perfectly. The sound of Round’s ‘Glass’ feels both joyful and sad, while Max Mohr’s ‘Old Song’ is absolutely energetic. Every one of them is part of an accurate summary of John Talabot's emotions and style.
The compilation continues on a solid level, with a medieval touch (Juno Jam) and classic house (Silikron). The closer from Pional, an ambient track, finishes this mix on a very high level and is on point.
The mix is great from start to finish and every song has its right place. You can put it on repeat and it will not get boring. The 10$ (or 9€) are definitely not wasted. Talabot can be proud of this DJ-Kicks, as he shows, how diverse and playful electronic music can be.
