James Taylor

James Taylor is half of Swayzak, who had an underground hit last year with their electro flavoured single, "I Dance Alone.” Carthage Milk has JT travelling back in time to ’98 and the release of the first Swayzak album, Snowboarding in Argentina, to rediscover the deep, contemplative roots of their tech house sound. Clear, crisp microsound has never been as groovy and rolling as on the opening track "Never Really Wanted.” The jumpy beats of "Jackflap” are enough to drive any dancer crazy with frustration while "Take Me or Break Me” hits the sweet spot with a quirky buzz and melodic strings. The bowed double bass sounds on "Wagonlites” underscore the thumping kicks with a memorable melancholy feeling — a sound perfect for rainy days. Unfortunately, there aren’t many electro influences on this album, although "Myoptix” has a driving electrotek bass line that’s worthy of some serious dance floor energy. Instead, most of the album is based on a straight house style drum beat. Taylor has made a very moody yet funky tech house album that is a nice addition to more adventurous techno record collections.