RUMPISTOL/RED BARON
Floating
PMC096/PMC097
Project: Mooncircle 2012
11 Tracks. 41mins36secs

Amazon UK: LP | DLD US: LP | DLD iTunes: DLD

After three albums of increasingly tight and incisive electronica for Rump Recordings, Danish artist Rumpistol, aka Jens Christiansen, has teamed up with LA-based Danish-born vocalist Red Baron for his latest offering and has migrated to Project: Mooncircle for the occasion.

Already, with last year’s Talk To You EP, Rumpistol was carving a surgical dubstep-infused electronica which he had previously only hinted at, most notably on 2008’s Dynamo, hijacking a section of Charlene’s I’ve Never Been To Me on the title track in the process. The reworked version of this track featured on this album does away with the vocal sample and sticks a sliced up Red Baron in its place.This playful approach is highly indicative of what this record has to offer; razor-sharp electronics, stripped down syncopated beats and heavily processed and cut up vocals which have an insistent propension to be vaguely reminiscent of very well known songs without actually ever borrowing anything from them.

Although the overall premise of this record could somewhat dry and serious, the result is extremely fun and tongue-in-cheek. Rumpistol’s compositions are undoubtedly sharp and refined, but he avoids anything heavy-sounding, instead injecting tiny sonic particles, 8-bit electro and occasional acoustic components. Equally, whilst Christiansen opts, for the most part, for beat-led compositions, his sonic constructions remain fairly minimal and allow for atmospheric moments, as if he felt the need to prevent any unnecessary build up of tension. Whilst tracks such as Talk To You, I’m Not Listening, Anywhere or Colors Breaking are all fairly dense and punchy, Floating, Dinosaurs or The World Keeps On Turning are much more spacious and loose, and Howie is stripped from all rhythmic aspects to let a lush ambient wash develop.

Beside heavily sliced up and processed vocal inserts, Red Baron is responsible for some surprisingly soulful moments on here. There is not much to his performance on I’m Not Listening, but what is there is more than enough to counterbalance Rumpistol’s cold-sound electronics with warm vocals, whilst some of the vocoded sections on Floating or Gravity also prove utterly vibrant and soulful, but it is on Colors Breaking that Red Baron really pushes the boat out and delivers a truly heartwarming performance, reminiscent at times of Del St Joseph or Roger Robinson.

An incredibly smart meeting of minds, this album never ceases to satisfy and charm, and repeat listens only serve to increase the pleasure one gets from it. Rumpistol and Red Baron have created something quite unique with Floating which should be thoroughly enjoyed without any moderation.

4.8/5

Rumpistol | Red Baron | Project: Mooncircle
Amazon UK: LP | DLD US: LP | DLD iTunes: DLD