- If the title of James Harmon Stack's debut album seems like a plea, it might be because the Brooklyn producer doesn't fit into any particular scene. Having moved around the US, he doesn't slot into any geographical sound either, starting out as one of many young producers pilfering ideas from hip-hop before techno stole his heart. Stack's idea of the genre is sleek and accessible, fusing the harder rhythms of European techno with the more tuneful elements of his North American counterparts. His debut album takes that idea one step further. Preferring brief bursts of melody over drawn-out grooves, Tell Me I Belong takes influences from a range of dance genres and squashes them all into a compact 31 minutes.
Stack's smooth, workmanlike rhythms are the focal point of the record. He folds in elements of garage, dancehall and techno for a fusion that never feels flashy. Take "Run"—it's basically just pounding kicks and brusque vocal samples with all the fury of a Fachwerk record, but delivered in a skewed, wonky cadence. On "Is It Me," the percussion's perky drive lifts an otherwise dreary array of synths and pitched-down vocals, while the giddy "Reassuring" recalls the fizzy rush of what used to be called future garage. That melodic streak is Tell Me I Belong's other hallmark. Late album highlight "Without" is built around a killer vocal hook worthy of a Rihanna tune, while the ribbons of silk, soft organ sounds and ethereal female vocals of "Below" steer it in the direction of early '00s pop trance.
The first time the vocals match up with the twirling synths in "Below," it's a near-perfect synchronicity. Tell Me I Belong is full of moments like these, but they're always fleeting, which means the LP falls short of true greatness. It's such easy listening that the uniform smoothness becomes a double-edged sword, so breezy and lightweight it can float by without calling attention to itself if you're not listening closely.
That feeling is compounded by the shorter tunes, which make an already short record feel shorter. Maybe Stack prefers brevity; double the length of these tracks and you've got an hour-long LP. As it's presented, his debut album is hesitant, merely hinting at a strong aesthetic that he's been fleshing out in his DJ sets. One thing's for sure, though: Tell Me I Belong makes me want to hear more.
Tracklist01. Somewheres
02. Run
03. Below
04. Reassuring
05. Everything To Say
06. Is It Me
07. Out Of Mind
08. Ease Up
09. Without
10. Wake