John Talabot

Barcelona-based beat jockey John Talabot made waves back in 2010 with disco-inspired summer jam "Sunshine" and quickly followed up its success with mid-tempo cavernous club excursion fIN. However, while his recent musical forays showcased his interest in saturated synth-pop and tropical rhythms, on !K7's newest DJ-Kicks compilation, Talabot explores how deep his deep house can go, tracing his musical lineage from the early days of Spanish techno to his current dance floor domination. Starting things off with the apathetic chug of North Lake's "Journey to the Center of the Sun," over 27 broad tracks, Talabot's mix takes listeners on an autobiographical journey that acts more as an audio appendix to his career than a traditional club set. Digging deep into his personal collection, Talabot unearths rare and hard-to-find gems, including sensual, European-esque synth ballads ("Innermind," by Paradise's Deep Groove), Cologne-worthy club hits (Jürgen Paape's remix of Kron's "Silikron") and even a couple Talabot exclusives (melodramatic club-stomper "Without You" and Caribou-aping Axel Boman collaboration "Sideral"). While the majority of tracks involved sound more suitable for a late night study session than a singles soirée, like all good DJ-Kicks compilations, this one succeeds by enlightening listeners, not just seducing them to the dance floor.