- The last two Sound Pellegrino compilations were themed: SND.PE Volume 2 was all about unusual collaborations, while SND.PE 3 focused on barebones DJ tools. The idea this time is melody, which goes hand-in-hand with a recent mix from label founder Teki Latex. "Deconstructed Trance Reconstructed" saw the Parisian artist weave together an ambitious hour of trance-influenced grime loops and melodies with drum sounds taken from all sorts of music. It applied the genre's candy-sweet rush to a more modern dance music template. That's roughly what happens on Melodic Mechanisms, even if the collection isn't always inspired directly by trance. The results show how adventurous the French label has become.
SND.PE 4: Melodic Mechanisms kicks off with Doline, a Sound Pellegrino newcomer whose chirpy "Karidja" was directly inspired by Latex's mix. Matthias Zimmerman turns melody into rhythm on "Shaquana," while Sudanim piles on the horns over a vaguely Baltimore-style beat on "Seydou." The best moments on Melodic Mechanism's come when the artists process the central theme. P. Morris and Chilly Gonzales steal the show with the incredible "Late Visitor"—think modern classical with a boom-bap beat. There's a hint of the grandiose on CYPHR's "Have Faith," as rippling kick drums ride a wave of melody that could have been sampled from a church's pipe organ.
Not everyone is quite so creative. Orgasmic's "Mauvais Garçon" is boilerplate synth-heavy trap, while Crystal's "Bill Gate" is a jumble of horns, acid lines and wonky drums that can't seem to get along. But those moments are balanced out by the inventiveness around them. From Doline's rippling synths to Moleskin's coiled precision attack, every producer on Sound Pellegrino's has a different idea of the role that melody plays in dance music. Each of the label's compilations so far has invited us to think about dance music in a different way, and Melodic Mechanisms shows there's plenty of room for melody and musicality in club bangers.
Tracklist01. Doline - Karidja
02. Orgasmic - Mauvais garçon
03. Sudanim - Seydou
04. Koyote - Brigitte
05. Joe Howe - Zoned Reminder
06. Nicolas Malinowsky - Haunted Piano
07. Matthias Zimmermann - Shaquana
08. Chilly Gonzales & P. Morris - Late Visitor
09. Voltery - 5 Shadows
10. CYPHR - Have Faith
11. Crystal - Bill Gate
12. Moleskin - Imagine (Handsome Boys Lifestyle)
13. Medicis & Vanshift - P11 (Outro)