House Is A Feeling

First, a disclaimer: I love Losoul’s music and have done for a long time. I first got into the dark gothic stuff he was doing around the time of “Getting Even” in 2004.  The extended version of “You Know” (streamed via Youtube below) which came out on a one sided vinyl at the time is still an all time favourite of mine.

Even listening back this morning it’s still a really different record from the usual, a distinctly German/European take on house music, which to me is always welcome. What ever happened to the vocalist Malté anyway, who was on several things back then?

Over the years I’ve gone through back catalogues etc and checked out lots of other Losoul stuff, after picking up this slightly brighter release on the very short lived but very nice Friends of Tomorrow label. Most of the time it’s been great, and I’m sure I’ve said that several times in almost three and a half years of doing this blog.

Listening to his new album “Care”, this morning, an LP mostly in the style of the loosely mechanical electronic house rhythms he’s been giving us for the last few years, it strikes me he’s a godfather in a way for some of the current trends in house. (Though depending on their opinions, some producers might take that as an insult!)

At various points through the record I felt that Johnny D’s lo-fi toolish sound or many other records in that style seem like the grandson of Losoul’s rickety grooves. Of course the two sounds are not exactly the same, Losoul is more classical when it comes to those house keys and chords, and the dynamism in his tracks is achieved in a different way, but the point is that wonkiness in German house is not necessarily some recent invention.

I guess the fact Losoul has recorded on Classic fits this too, that label’s sound seems to be reinterpreted a lot at the moment now too.

But back to the album. It’s really nice to have a collection of Losoul productions in this style, and it’s a record which is good from start to finish. We’re not talking some iconic auteuristic triumph here but personally I’ve rediscovered the enjoyment of albums on a more simple level (just listening to one artist’s work for an hour) during the time I took a break from HIAF. That’s after 3/4 years of drowning myself in singles.

“Care” starts pretty slowly, with “Slightly” and “The Crush” serving as a sort of loose intro to the rest of the LP. It’s a low key beginning but by the end ther record is really impressive. “To Last” in particular stands out, a really understated deep track that reduces the histrionic synths of so many of its peers to an emphatic whisper. That’s the name of the game on “Care”, a really technical (techno-cal?) take on house that’s got an almost clinical, surgical bump to it.

It’s out on Monday and you can hear samples here or one or two full tracks and some older stuff on Myspace. And perhaps you’ve not checked out Losoul’s recent RA podcast which is sweet too.

With a record like this and Audio Werner back around I’ve realised that I’d really like if German and European house started looking inward again. Isn’t there something about that stripped back teutonic sound (you know, experimental, micro, quirky even) that seems to have endured? I can really sense that people will start going back to that. No doubt some never left it behind.

(Have a good weekend everyone!)