- There’s deep and there’s David Alvarado. Originally released as an EP, Transfiguration has been fleshed out into a nine track album, providing the ideal nocturnal soundtrack.
Alvarado seems to have got the house/techno blend just right, with the beats tough enough to lift the music above water, with slow moving chord progressions complemented by various subtle production noises. The whole thing unfolds at a natural, unhurried pace, the structure of each tune changing just as you’d expect it to.
Mind you, the last thing that can be said about this record is that it’s boring and predictable. After a blissful intro with light beats, Alvarado turns on the kick for ‘Luna’, with lots of smoky atmospherics flitting around. ‘Raindance’ goes downtempo, hitting a nice groove, while ‘Sol’ is the tour de force, a tightly structured groove with a superbly done break in the middle, with Alvarado leaving half the bass drum in the mix. Meanwhile the warmth of the breaks in ‘But Why’ segues neatly into the straight, techy house beat of ‘Aire’, showing his versatility as a producer.
‘Transfiguration’ is a no frills release with every sound worth its place in the overall picture. Alvarado knows just how to make a good, deep groove and does it with great simplicity on this classy record.