- Laurent Garnier continues his Garnier project world tour with an EP on MCDE, this time named for the KLM flight from Marseilles to Amsterdam. The French veteran's 2014 run has seen him make retro house for Still Music, harder techno for 50 Weapons, and instrumental hip-hop for Musique Large. The theme of KL 2036 is harder to figure out, but loosely speaking the music is misty deep house with just a bit of kitsch.
Reportedly influenced by Ethiopian jazz, "Psyche-Delia" is humid and trippy, built on a kick drum that drags like a forced march. Its vamping keys and twirling synths turn from cheeky to banal over the course of the track's eight minutes, as if Garnier is trying too hard to sound exotic. On a more traditional tip, you could probably guess what vibe "Whistle For Frankie" is going for. The soulful chord progression might be perfect for a Sunday afternoon party, but a cringeworthy vocal sample and its thrown-together feel means you're probably better off reaching for a record that actually came from Chicago. With his series of 12-inches about to come to an end, Garnier has shown that he's still versatile, but KL 2036 is a merely passable addition to his considerable catalogue.
TracklistA1 Psyche-Delia
B1 Whistle for Frankie