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Delon & Dalcan

Tanz

(Boxer Recordings; US: 29 Apr 2008; UK: Available as import)

Review [30.May.2008]

The blend of minimal techno and house on Tanz, the debut full-length from French producer/DJs Delon and Dalcan is an all-party event, with gritty kickers like “Beyond Clouds” and “Academy” leading a pack of driving floor cuts. Tanz is, unfortunately, less psychedelic than the cover art implies. However, the split photograph and spots of flourescent blue & red hues, against the flat grey and black backdrop, are evidently a nod to “Ultracolor”, Tanz‘s mind-melting closer. Over six minutes, “Ultracolor” bubbles subtly from its bare jumpoff; its chilly clicks and stuttering monotone base give way to a break and some quick pitch-shifting alters the temperature completely for the song’s final moments. The wobbly bass riffs in “Beyond Clouds” aren’t unlike those that shaped “The Burglar” from last year’s Life Beginnings, the debut LP from D&D’s labelmate Matzak (I can’t really stop talking about Life Beginnings, one year later). The midtempo “Beyond Clouds” rides the wobble for a bit and opens up to glitzy synth chords and disco swirls, which come off much lighter than the dark, hard “Drei Musik” moments later… lots of variety here.

Rating:

Dominic Umile's music criticism and feature stories have appeared in The Brooklyn Rail, XLR8R, Orlando Weekly, Remix, Miami New Times, and more. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, where he'll often lament U.S. foreign policy catastrophes with close friends. Contact him via Dominic.Umile [at] gmail.com, follow him, and read him over here, too.


Tagged as: delon & dalcan
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30 May 2008
Finally, the golden boys of French minimal techno bestow us with a well-deserved LP.
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