- Swedish housecat Mikael Nordgren has made no small amount of tasteful, stripped-down tracks, most notably under his Tiger Stripes moniker. Sporting light disco and electro influences, many of his outings seem a little too close to the minimal party line to really evoke much of a response. The exception so far has been 2007's "Voyage," which took all that well-sculpted space and added something beautiful to it, namely an arching, cosmic lead. The results may have been a little bit closer to classic trance for some, but the drums and synth washes retained enough physicality to keep things from getting on the wrong side of pretty.
"Me & I" marks the third Tiger Stripes release for Get Physical, and while it doesn't hit the high points of some of his other outings, it's certainly his strongest effort for GPM. The title track is a dark, chilly number with a solid shuffling beat that peeks open to reveal a percolating lead and a clipped vocal sample, reminiscent in some ways of TS breakout track "Hooked." When the simple, uplifting key pulse kicks in, you've got a solid mover that won't make anybody's night, but could certainly liven up a mundane hard-house set.
Flipside "Velocity" starts well, with wooden percussion and a great, blurty keyboard motif that recalls a messed-up organ set on stun. More promising still is the threatening, echoed-out synth that hovers ominously, moving from deep in the mix to lurch and linger as we pass the midpoint. Sadly, it seems like this is exactly the point at which "Velocity" loses its momentum. As with much of Tiger Stripes' material, the stage is set and the costumes are lovely, but none of the actors ever gain the confidence to burst into a crowd-wooing monologue. It might be chic to keep one's sounds scrupulously groomed and hidden from the bright stage-light, but letting go and reveling in them is what could elevate Nordgren's material out of the realm of the merely well-behaved.
Tracklist A Me & I
B Velocity