Whether employing this handle or in his guise as A Made Up Sound, Dave Huismans is firmly in control of future music. However, Fever demonstrates his mastery of vintage sounds. Composed entirely of micro-samples from disco records, the album is a typically challenging, groovy affair. Certainly there is no reliance on disco hi-hat or four-on-the-floor kick drums to drive these tunes along, but sticking to these sounds lends this work a different feel than most of today's electronic dance music. Though sounds have been tightened up to hit harder than they might have years ago, subtle reminders of disco and house's great moments remain prominent, such as "Aquatic Family Affair," which channels the feeling of Cajmere's "Brighter Days." Really, this album sounds like what house did to disco in the first place: make it more minimal while retaining its soulfulness. Fever displays much greater syncopation than its forbears in these post-broken beat, drum & bass and UK funky times. This release should subliminally grab many generations of dance music fans. Even if they never thought they'd get with these rhythms, they're intimately familiar with the sounds.
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Fever
BY David DacksPublished Apr 5, 2011