Bambounou

Having found himself on Modeselektor's 50 Weapons label, Jeremy Guindo (better known as DJ/producer Bambounou) has a knack for doing a bit of genre-hopping and going from low to high end over the course of an album, just like some of his labelmates. The 22-year-old Parisian is certainly impressive in his abilities as a producer, and his subtleties and restraint in mixing and producing certainly come across on Orbiting, though that might be its downfall. Orbiting, as its title suggests, follows the theme of space, which is echoed in atmospheric opener "Hyper." The album moves right into "Any Other Service," a reworking of the traditional "Happy Birthday" song for fellow DJ French Fries, with a swapped out melody, of course. It's bouncy, techno opening and sparse, snapping percussion are a killer setup for the warbling bass drop that hits midway through. The problem is, Orbiting never finds a foothold after its impressive opener and finds itself lost in its minimalist spin. "Let Me Get," featuring French Fries and "Splaz," helps beef up the album, but falls short in making it sound like anything more than a great framework.