Tiefschwarz, a Stuttgart based duo, have been around for a while now, producing a whole host of deep tracks and remixes for a variety of different artists. It is regarded that their sound has changed somewhat over the years, from their classic chilled out minimal/deep house of the mid 90's to their slighty edgier take on the electro/dance genres through the ealry/mid 00's, although their most recent release looks set to be a trip down memory lane for the brothers...
Their third and latest offering,
Chocolate, was released on Wednesday, a whole 5 years after their second full length album. It sees a return to their slower pace, more reflective, pensive and mellow house music, halfway between Deep and Minimal. Neither wholly one nor the other, but somehow mixing the two. Post-minimal maybe.
The opening track, Home, beatifully sets the tempo and attitude of the rest of the album. Featuring the vocal addition of Daniel Wilde, it is another solid club hit with a warm synthesized bass line as we have come to expect from similar tracks such as
Trust.
However, if all you were expecting was a selection of house beats and soft bass lines thrown together, then you'll be very much disappointed. It is much more than that. Throughout the album, there are elements of classic (read: proper) rhythm and blues, jazz, orchestral and multi-cultural world sounds. The soft vocal additions along the way also add another, fairly quirky, side to the album's personality.
Moving on from Home, the mood changes fairly rapidly in Legends. Opening with what sounds like a harp arpeggiating accompanied by some rather obscure vocal samples. Adding windpipes and a solid drum beat along the way, this abstract song develops admirably, all without a bass line in sight.
Another elegant and ambient song comes from the likes of Bon Voyage, who's main melody is provided entirely by a piano sequence, and who's deep drums have almost a tribal nature.
The final song I'm going to mention is the alternative version of Trust, featuring the vocal works of Seth Troxler. This version couldn't be further from the original, the only similarity being the vocal line. A particularly weird addition to the album, although somehow manages to fit in wonderfully.
All in all, this album is a welcome return to the dark and deep by the German brothers, with enough experimental elements to keep it interesting, without overpowering the overall theme and ultimately, what we have grown to love Tiefschwarz for.
Tiefschwarz - Home
Tracklist
1. Home Intro
2. Home feat. Daniel Wilde
3. Kraft
4. Legends
5. Black Tick
6. I Can't Resist feat. Dave Aju
7. What You Want
8. Bon Voyage
9. Trust (Alternative Version feat. Seth Troxler)
10. Babel
11. Find Me feat. Cassy
12. Stones
13. The Whistler
14. Scherbenbringenglück
15. Accordage
16. 12AM
Available on
Beatport now.
