This editorial dedicated to putting the spotlight on artists who create amazing music but always seem to fly under the radar for most dance music lovers. With so much great talent nowadays it's easy to miss out on the many musicians who may not appear on the mainstage but always deliver a headliner performance. This weeks Under The Radar features two cutting edge producers, Art In Motion and Sascha Braemer.
Brazil's growing dance scene is becoming more evident every year, not just with Green Valley becoming the worlds #1 nightclub according to DJ Mag, but the up and coming talent as well. Being the homeland to numerous electro house giants, Felguk, FTampa, Dirtyloud, and even Gui Boratto whose recent release Abaporu was easily one of 2014s most acclaimed dance music records (if you haven't heard it, GET ON IT). Now, Vincente Amadeo, is celebrating his first studio debut under the alias Art In Motion to become another hot Brazilian export.
Art In Motion
Titled Llankay, Amadeo provides not just a full length dose of after hours, club music, but a record that actually grows on you, mainly because each track is so darn solid. After the intro “Ritual”, which right away warms up the esoteric and tronic vibes that carry throughout the entire record, Llankay is one great house track after the other, and never is there a dip in quality. Granted every listener is going to gravitate towards their favorite songs, but all of them deliver a solid beat accompanied by wompy, basslines over a moody and opaque atmosphere. Even fans of today's wannabe “deep house” or “future house” (which is really just a toned down version of electro house) will find plenty of appeal in these tracks. The kicks have a punch to them yet they manage to maintain the loungy, airy element that defines true deep house, and the techy grooves add alot of dynamics to keep the energy level surprisingly high.
The only thing you can really ask for more is variety. Vocals used in “Marrie” and “Love Illusion” break up the pure instrumentals, (“Love Illusion” sounds like its taken right from an Anjunadeep compilation) but the same formula is used throughout the record. Luckily it's a formula that works and from a DJ standpoint, any album where 90% of the record is bumpable, is a huge success.
Llankay
Favorite Tracks
- Shadow Light
- Marrie
- Armor Calibre 37
8/10
Sascha Braemer live
The next artist in our feature has been around the block a few times, having releases on numerous European imprints such as Stil Vor, Subdub, Kindish Records, and is even an oldschool Dirtybird alumni. Sascha Braemer has built a strong resume since his induction into the scene in the early 2000s, which has made his first the full length effort No Home feel all the more necessary.
Sascha Braemer
Without beating around the bush, No Home is fantastic, an intriguing, mesmerizing journey through realms both mechanical and spiritual, with beats that combine soulful electronica with progressive tech house. From the opening, “Take Off”, the oceanic samples submerge the listener into the sonic roller coaster that doesn't let up till the last couple tracks. Braemer keeps it mostly dark and underground, with driving, techno jams like “Hilde”, “Hard Drive”, “The Message”, and “Loosing Myself” sounding like Cirez D tunes coming out on Bedrock Records (and what could be better than that?). He also does a phenomenal job at mixing things up as well, with editions like the electropoppy, title track “No Home”, Ed Banger inspired “Drifting”, or the two deep house vocal Gems “Nightfall” and “For You””. There's even total curve balls such as the trippy, odd tempo'd “Daily Routine” which is one of the few interludes in No Home, that may only last a minute or so, but are great examples of Braemer's technical prowess and versatility.
There's so much this album does right and how Braemer explores so many styles of underground dance music while maintaining a constant vibe is something few dance music studio records achieve. It's the culmination of crisp production, effective songwriting, and a multitude of tricks that elevate No Home from feeling like the mere result of hours in a studio to a fully realized piece of art. The re-occurring themes of movement and travel which compliment the grade-A progressions that each track undergoes. Just as the name of the album suggests, there's no way to shoehorn Braemer's style into a single category, he does it all, and this particular concoction is one of the year's best.
Sascha Braemer – No Home cover
Favorite Tracks
- The Message
- No Home
- Hilde
9/10
