Chestnut People - Chestnut People

  • Ludwig A.F. and Priori team up for a record as big as it is sincere.
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  • "I," the lead track from Chestnut People's debut EP, starts with a clipped breakbeat and sub pulses that ricochet across the soundstage with the metallic force of UK techno. But then the track bursts open with a chord progression beamed in from a '90s prog record. Just when it feels like things couldn't get any more cathartic, the two add a twinkling piano line. The effect is like Anz and John Digweed going back-to-back for a Tomorrowland sunset. If that sounds like an unlikely, if exciting, collaboration, it's fitting for Chestnut People, the equally exciting (if less unlikely) pairing of Ludwig A.F. Röhrscheid and Francis Latreille, AKA Priori. On their-self titled EP as Chestnut People, the two show off their love of polished synth work on four convincing homages to the '90s. Just because Röhrscheid and Latreille are suckers for a proggy melody doesn't mean all the tracks here sound like "Higher Ground"-era Sasha. In fact, only "I" reaches those emotional heights. The other A-side cut, "II," is all about the comedown, closer to tech house with skittering drums and a pliant bassline. Things are slower, if less subtle on the flip. The two channel the headsier side of '90s trance (a lá Mixmaster Morris), and play to both their strengths (if you need a refresher, check out Ludwig's "Blissful Lie or any track on Priori's 2021 LP). Both "III' and "IV" are made for the chillout tent. Of the two, I'm partial to the downtempo groove on "III." You might hear those sighing voices and gentle drum loops at a morning yoga class at Houghton this year. A record like this isn't everyone's cup of tea. You've gotta be OK with a certain amount of kitsch to appreciate both the references and the fun of Chestnut People. But if you don't mind wearing your heart on your sleeve—and your tongue in your cheek—this is as good a record as you'll hear all year. It's a beautifully sincere ode to dance music at its most emotive.
  • Tracklist
      01. I 02. II 03. III 04. IV
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