- After the success of Booka Shade’s ‘Mandarine Girl’, you’d think German producers would have hunkered down and devised a plan to take over the world with unashamedly melodic, obvious yet not obvious records. But it was not to be. Since then there has been nothing really. Even Booka Shade’s own well has run dry, judging by their formulaic new 12-inch 'Planetary/City Tales'.
Enter Martin Stimming, responsible for catchy bits on Diynamic such as ‘Getting Out Of Something’ and 'Funkworm' (but not ‘Feuervogel’, it seems, as the melody is swiped from a classical sample CD.) Nevertheless, you could say Stimming possesses a talent for the happy-but-sad hook that could see him pick up where Booka left off. If he honed his production skills, that is.
Skip the B-sides, which are in turn lumbering and unlovely tech house (‘State of Mind’) and stiff bongo minimal (‘Concentrate’), because the real action is on the A. ‘Die Liebe’ is, as the proggers say, epic, and it has a to-die-for trancey peak that rivals even the best of Bodzin or Booka, making it surely deserving of a triumphant spin at peak time causing mass hugs on the dancefloor. The problem is, unfortunately, it sounds like a recording of a tin opener versus a crumpled Coke can, especially compared to Stimming’s output on Diynamic. It’s one of those records that you have to constantly adjust the EQ to have it sound at least halfway decent.
That's to say 'Die Liebe' is not a good production, but it is a lovable one. The potential is there, though. I'd say Stimming would do well to get back in the studio and have another crack at it.
TracklistA Die Liebe
B1 State of Mind
B2 Concentrate