Artist...: Zoo Brazil
Title....: Point Of View
Label....: Black Hole Recordings
Genre....: House
Quality..: VBR kbit/ 44,1 kHz
Source...: CDDA
Ripdate..: Feb-10-2018
Encoder..: LAME 3.98.4 (VBR -V0 --vbr-new)
Tracks...: 10
Tracklist:
01.Zoo Brazil Ft. Wolf & Moon - 05:55
From A Distance
02.Zoo Brazil Ft. Niara - Never Had 04:44
03.Zoo Brazil Ft. Mama - Nine Mind 06:06
04.Zoo Brazil Ft. Wolf & Moon - 06:36
Careful
05.Zoo Brazil Ft. Philip - Shadows 06:06
06.Zoo Brazil Ft. Ursula Rucker - 05:59
In My Time
07.Zoo Brazil - The Relax 05:14
08.Zoo Brazil - It Takes Two 07:23
09.Zoo Brazil - Waiting 06:22
10.Zoo Brazil - Empty Minds 06:08
87,2 MB
Notes:
A point of view indeed. One musician's
of course, but that of an individual
who's proved - over many a year - to be
as scene-enduring as he's been
artistically inspirational. Whilst Zoo
Brazil may not make longplayers all
that often, when he delivers, they
typically become classics in their own
right or simply works of electronic
art.
The auteurish nature of John Andersson
has given those releases the cachet,
not simply of influence and cool, but
evermore of rarity. Its title a casual
allusion to John's sonic bearing,
'Point Of View' is his first album
statement since 2012's 'Any Moment
Now'. Specifically that bearing
encompasses the strata of classic, deep
and tech house, with its tracks
existing without exception in the
hinterlands between.
A 10-track collection, 'Point Of View'
lays bare the inner workings of John's
musical mind. While it draws themes and
strand-influences from music spanning
40 years or more, don't expect that to
be as gauche as to be overt. Featuring
the M/F vocal pairing of Wolf and Moon,
the album opens with 'From A Distance'.
The German duo's dream-folk song
underpinned by John's nagging, resolute
groove, casual string strum and deep
set bass throb. Following you'll find
former single 'Never Had'. Advanced by
Niara's soulfully housey tones and
spiritual lyrics, John's extends its
clubfloor range with bassy sub-riffs
and a chiming top line. Continuing its
vocal lean, gothic synth strains
backset by timbale percussion gather
the ether for 'Nine Mind', while Mama's
considered, mediative lyrics & vocals
condition its latter stages.
A cautionary tale rendered as song,
'Careful' is the second showing on the
album for the moodier two-handed tones
of Wolf and Moon. 'Shadow' meanwhile
reteams Zoo Brazil with 'Heart's A
Legend' frontman Philip. Edgier
waveforms spar stylistically with
curling guitar strains, while a simple
looping hook underscores it. Marking
one of 'P.O.V.'s most classically
house-ish moments, Philadelphia's
Ursula Rucker's half spoken/half sung
paean provides the emotional anchor for
'In My Time'. On the surface 'The
Relax' is bluesy in feel, but its
darker, more technotic underbelly has
other ideas - a tempo shifting b-line
giving it a deliciously subversive
undertow.
'Point Of View's third & final act of
sees its needle swing over to the
tech-house side. It becomes vocally
more taciturn and focused on the deep,
the atmospheric and the dubby. 'It
Takes Two' gives the tempo gas a tap
and mines more drama from its peaks,
drops and moodily held bass notes.
Ostensibly mild mannered in intro,
'Waiting's elements pull a midpoint
fast one, unexpectedly and dramatically
throwing in the big strings. Strings of
a more violin-like nature pervade album
swansong 'Empty Minds'. Cryptic of
mind, esoteric in delivery, its
idiosyncratic final production flourish
will doubtless delight seasoned Zoo
Brazil watchers.