Heib - In the Dark EP

  • Share
  • Such an important characteristic of a track—and a key factor that determines its success or otherwise—is where they place on a sliding scale from "heard this a million times before" to "what the hell was that?" Right at either end, you're likely to alienate. In the fertile middle ground, on the other hand, comfort and interest breed together. Jochen Heib, with some 20 years experience and releases on Kompakt and International Deejay Gigolo Records under his belt, takes tough, electro-infused house as his departure point in Into the Dark. A few simple, thickly sculpted hooks are nailed down by tight, synthetic drumlines that hit hard. In "Silver Mine," it all adds up to sunless foreboding, but here, the way it's not quite fleshed out—making for a sense of anticipation that never gets fulfilled—is the reason it's so effective. "Shadows" is gothic tech raised from decaying remains, stitched together, leaving the weird harmonies to fester in their own misery. (The vocals, meanwhile, could have been taken from a heart-to-heart with Dracula.) Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner roll along gently, all tight, rapid samba, and then warm shafts break through, golden dusk imbued with heart-melting melancholy. As in "Silver Mine," it opens out unostentatiously, lifting us into the track's core while we barely notice. Lula House's version, though, doesn't really go anywhere, and the lightning crack triplets every second bar are too prevalent, breaking up the groove rather than adding to it. It's a shame as the basis is smart, but as the other three show, development is everything.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Shadows A2 Shadows (Heinrichs & Hirtenfelter remix) B1 Silver Mine B2 Silver Mine (Lula Circus remix)
RA