First Impressions: Stimming ‘Reflections’

First Impressions: Stimming ‘Reflections’

2 February, 2009 | 9.40AM

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: diynamic, stimming

Stimming is poised to drop his debut LP ‘Reflections’ through Dynamic; an album intended to narrate different themes through its 11 tracks.

After critically acclaimed releases for Liebe*Detail, Freerange, Buzzin Fly and his home label Diynamic, this Hamburg-based up-and-comer stormed through the summer with the Latin heater ‘Una Pena’, and now we find him pushing his production envelope even further.

Combining live instrumentation, field recordings and indisputable electronic expertise, Stimming explores the outer reaches of an emotional listening experience as well as the more familiar territory of the dancefloor.

The album carries a soft and dubby texture throughout, guiding you along a winding path of warbling beats that eventually entice you down the rabbit hole; each tune transparently segues into the next until you’ve completed a journey you didn’t even realize you were embarking upon.

Full of twists and turns that contrast like complementary colors, one is either lulled into a dream state of deeply layered listening bliss, or gradually roused into movement by the subtle progression of beats that machinate to collectively take you over.

‘Song for Isabelle’ finds the album exploring its heady genre-crossing appeal, juxtaposing the formulaic constraints of house with a slightly off-kilter bent, while ‘Fruits of Life’ takes it one step further into a wonky ride that prefaces the climactic soul of the album.

‘Loneliness’ takes a heartfelt break and explores an emotional landscape heavily laden with a wailing harmonica and a vocal dripping with, well, loneliness.

And in what seems to be a subtle and gradual transformation, ‘The Beauty’ takes us into a dark and seductive secret hiding spot that croons with a fervent and inescapable sexiness - hot, shadowy and sweaty with lust.

By the end of the ride you’re ready to press the play button and do it all again.

Reflections tracklist

01. Sunday Morning
02. After Eight
03. Song for Isabelle
04. Fruits of Life
05. Silver Surfer
06. One Weekend
07. The Loneliness
08. Tel Aviv Calling
09. The Beauty
10. Sleep On
11. The Kiss

‘Reflections’ by Stimming is release on Diynamic in March 2009

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