Marc Romboy - Contrast

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  • Even though it was launched at about the same time, Marc Romboy's Systematic Recordings has never quite achieved the same notoriety as Get Physical. Some could even say it was never really able to move beyond Get Physical's aural shadow, its overbearing body language, and ubiquitous array of actual hits. The same can be said for Romboy's career as an artist, as well. His most memorable moments have all been recorded with the help of someone else's production skills (Stephan Bodzin, Tommie Sunshine) or the larger-than-thou persona of various (hip) house vocalists (Blake Baxter, Chelonis R. Jones, Tyree Cooper). Contrast, Romboy's second long player on Systematic, although crisp and sleek-sounding, unfortunately won't do anything to change this underachieving image. Romboy's first album was somehow strongly attached to its so-called post-electro-house context, hence its more immediate aura. In…er…contrast, Contrast finds itself going deeper, but without Bodzin's knack for otherworldly atmospheres (think of the duo's "Phobos" collaboration for a paradigmatic example). There is definitely something lacking here. "Iceland"'s rolling and constantly morphing bassline, for instance, does have a Bodzin-like air of creepiness, but the track itself goes on for nine minutes without delivering any actual sense of purpose; current single "Karambolage," on the other hand, is the most upbeat thing on here, but the album version is somewhat pale next to the darker and more effective Oxia and Olivier Grégoire remixes. Only "Sonora" positively echoes Romboy's past instants of mesmeric excellence. Needless to say, the most immediately enjoyable tracks on here are the ones with guest vocalists. The aforementioned Chelonis R. Jones shows up on three different occasions, most notably on album opener "The Beat," but he sounds more domesticated than usual, even tired at times (the painful "Side FX"). As for Mr. K-Alexi's first collaboration ("E Y Mind"), it goes on about elevating your mind for eight minutes, but it crucially forgets to elevate itself above beat-less spoken-word-driven drivel; as for "Acid Love," it is surely acidic, but it feels sterile and loveless. You are thus left with another Blake Baxter one ("Fly Away"), which is as quirky-house-with-legendary-voice as you'll get. It's unclear, of course, whether it's Romboy or collaborators 45 Rocks that should be blamed on this one. Either way, it's obvious that it didn't quite work out according to plan. One thing is for sure, though: The deeper and glossy Romboy gets, the dryer and exhausted he sounds.
  • Tracklist
      01. The Beat (vs. Chelonis R Jones) 02. Fly Away (vs. Blake Baxter) 03. Iceland 04. Ey Mind (vs. Mr.K-Alexi) 05. Karambolage 06. Side FX (vs. Chelonis R Jones) 07. Acid Love (vs. Mr.K-Alexi) 08. Sonora 09. Elif
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