- Between running the enormously influential Versatile label (home of Zombie Zombie, Acid Arab, Joakim and countless others) and being half of Chateau Flight alongside I:Cube, Gilbert Cohen is a busy man. But even given those commitments, 18 years is a big gap between solo releases. Le Maitre Des Illusions is Cohen's first solo work since 1997's Pressure, with the Gilb'R name only appearing on a smattering of collaborative EPs in the interim.
Le Maitre Des Illusions is a low-key, tasteful return that largely dispenses with Chateau Flight's rhythmic and textural eccentricities, plumping instead for a laid-back ride. The title track will be the main draw for DJs. A slightly seasick deep house roller, it immediately establishes a muffled 124 BPM groove and sticks with it, periodically allowing glimmers of synth and pads to poke through the fog. Glacially paced B-side "Approaching Kether" is meditative to the point of almost being incidental music, its mix of shimmering ambience and crawling drums feeling pretty if not especially memorable. Still, it's nice to have Gilb'R back, even though he's never been away.
TracklistA1 Le Maitre Des Illusions
B1 Approaching Kether