- Until now, Barcelona's Hivern label has been most closely identified with the kind of sample-heavy, disco- and pop-infused house that John Talabot and Pional have done for the label—super-saturated with color, layering loops upon loops in a style we might call Balearic maximalism. But with Hivern Jacking Tapes Vol. 1, the crew unplugs the samplers and takes a hard left into analog-focused house. It's a slightly surprising move for the label; with so many people focused on a similar retro sound, from Rush Hour and Clone to L.I.E.S. and Future Times, and on even to Get Physical, with Heidi's Jackathon compilations, it would seem that this territory has been pretty well mapped.
What makes all four tracks here worthwhile is their overarching musical sensibility: they sound like they're more about ideas than checking off lists of gear. On Aster's "Oide," that means pitting an uneven acid line against plangent pads, flowing like a sun salutation in yoga; T&J's "Drums & Synths" channels vintage New Order through Metro Area and comes up with a bewitching counterpoint of hangdog synths and impish funk. Marc Piñol's "Solve Et Coagula" feels like a similar kind of compare-and-contrast, pitting skeletal, Trax-inspired grooves against Depeche Mode's dark romance. Kresy's "En Bypass" is the likely standout: It reminds me a little bit of Conforce's "Grace," for the way it digs into a simple hook with such determination. But it's more tender than that, mulling over its changes like a set of worry beads, striking the perfect balance between impulse and atmosphere.
Tracklist 01. Aster - Oide
02. T&J - Drum&Synths
03. Kresy - En Bypass
04. Marc Piñol - Solve Et Coagula