- Gerd Janson has built a career on the sweet spot between house and disco. The latest cleverly edited reissue on his label, Kalk's Äkäsha, might skew towards house, but there's plenty of Running Back-style cheer in its meaty basslines and tribalist drums. Released in 1998, around the time Janson began playing out, it's the kind of house record—functional yet full of character—that helped lay the foundation for his and his label's groovy and colourful sound. Like most timeless house music from that era, each track only has a few elements. On "Äkäsha," the obvious floor-filler, Latin-flavoured percussion is paired with a descending bassline and a celestial synth. There's a hint of tech house in the groove, staying steady for the full seven minutes.
"Let's Take A Break" blends a technoid bass synth with another dead-eye groove. This time the mood is wackier, with chopped vocals and a dreamy chord sequence. It borders on goofy, but when those chords enter the mood goes from funky to sentimental. "Thank You Larry" is all about its diva vocal, which is used so sparingly that it brings an energy boost each time it wails. It also has the EP's catchiest melody, found in the rhythmic deep house-style chords that appear on so much sought-after dance music from the late '90s.
TracklistA1 Äkäsha (Re-Edit)
B1 Thank You Larry (Re-Edit)
B2 Let's Take A Break (Re-Edit)