- 2006 was an absolutely jam-packed year for Stephan Bodzin, who, according to my calculations, released 19 singles with an eclectic smattering of collaborators. With his excellent time-management skills and little-known ability to produce in his sleep, Bodzin also managed to found his own vanity label, Herzblut Recordings, on which he's released three 12”s, including the excellent ‘Puck/Io’ with Marc Romboy.
‘Liebe ist…’ is the fourth Herzblut release and Bodzin's first solo outing of 2007, and it paints an optimistic picture of what fans and dancefloors can expect this year. As the title would indicate, A-side 'Liebe ist…’ (‘Love is’) is something of a meditation, and a tense one at that. Its ribbed, rolling melody traces electrons through bundle after bundle of nerves, broken up by coarse percussive slates scraping back and forth. The object of affection steers the beat into a rough groove as a purring progression of bass tones reaches forth to make a connection. As with many Bodzin releases, the tune builds steadily until the bass underpinning rears its head to growl and destabilize the rhythms around it. The intensely gratifying peak and its sticky surroundings will likely get club-goers worked up and still savoring the rush the day after.
If side one draws listeners in, side two is somewhat indifferent to its audience. 'Mondefahrt' (‘Moon Travel’) is melodically sparse yet thoroughly detailed, and likely to be caned in a stripped down minimal techno set. Its precise repetitions multiply and dribble back at different textures and lengths, occasionally encountering alien whooshes and cubed shards of speech. Airtight and stark, it’s not nearly as much fun as the gravity-free lunar romp you’d expect from the title. ‘Liebe ist…’ has the brighter glow here.
TracklistA Liebe Ist
B Mondfahrt