- Rajko Müller's first album in over ten years is one of his best, perfect for adding a bit of blue to summer sunset DJ slots.
- 25 years after its release, Rajko Müller's breakthrough record as Isoleé, "Beau Mot Plage," is about as perfect a piece of house music as there is. You can practically taste the salty air in the guitar strums, while the off-center drum clicks add the perfect touch of the zany to the skittering arpeggios. It was a crossover hit that laid the blueprint for the rise of European minimal and was played by Radiohead after their sets. Fair to say, it cast a long shadow over Müller's career. "For many years I felt I was competing with the expectations set by my early records," he recently told Resident Advisor. But, post-pandemic, he's found a new groove—"I don't feel that anymore," he added.
As if to underline that point, his first album in 12 years starts with a wink. The title, Resort Island, evokes the Balearic chill of "Beau Mot Plage," but it's also a little less wide-eyed and excited. Resort Island is a record of breezy house tunes written with the knowledge that no matter how good a holiday is, it'll eventually just be a sunburn, some ibuprofen on the plane and an Instagram highlights reel. Müller has written plenty of sad songs before, but these two are about as blue as they come, filled with plaintive chord progressions and overcast synth notes.
Alongside these end credits tracks, though, Resort Island also plays with more nuanced emotions. There's the sad sigh of horns on the otherwise jubilant "Con o Noise" and a fragile synth wobble on the loungey jazz number "Modernation." The most moving moment comes when Müller drops the drums completely on "Let's Dense." The hiss of white noise sounds like the tide lapping on the shore but as it gets quieter, he mirrors the effect of walking slowly away from the beach to the car, footsteps getting heavier as sand turns to pavement. These songs are some of the best in Müller's extensive catalog, fusing his subtle minimal funk with the hangover of 25 years spent raving under summer suns across the globe. Still, tracks like the fizzy disco house track "Pardon My French" hint at brighter days, and the open hi-hat is addictive on "Con o Sin." It feels criminal that Jake the Rapper isn't going to be playing this at Bar25 all summer long.
Nearly 30 years into his career and Resort Island is Müller's best release since the early career highs of Rest and We Are Monster. His other releases were refined and tasteful reinterpretations of heads-down dance music with a bit more flair than some of his contemporaries. But since 2011's Well Spent Youth, it's often felt like he's been casting around for a new direction for his sound, trying out ideas to see what sticks. Resort Island, on the other hand, is confident and focused, going back to what Müller does best. Played in one context, these are sunny dance tracks, but they're also emotionally complex heart-tuggers that punters worldwide should be hearing over yet another summer of sun, sea and swung drums.
Tracklist01. coco's visa
02. canada balsam
03. Pardon My French
04. con o sin
05. let's dence
06. modernation
07. rumour
08. clap gently
09. tender date
10. 7eleven2