Pulshar - Inside

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  • There's a seemingly endless debate about techno, or dance music in general, and how it can possibly marry dance floor functionality with home listening potential to produce a good album. Pulshar, the Barcelona-based duo of Pablo Bolivar and Sergio Aphro, have bypassed such arguments with their debut full-length, Inside. Despite being dub and beat-orientated, it's a pop album at heart. Sure, there are ambient interludes. In addition to the obligatory intro track, we have the instrumental "Montparnasse 2 AM" and two shorter tracks—the vocalless breakbeat of "United States of Pulshar" and the "Blue Moon" doo-wop of "Above the Wall"—that act to join the dots. The latter is so good that it begs for a full-length version, but nonetheless leads beautifully into the guitar intro of "Stepping Stones." But it's not just clever sequencing that makes Inside stand out. Almost the entire album has a gentle mood, and yet still has enough variation to keep you engaged. While Pulshar's Brotherhood collection showcased similar experimentation with different beat structures, it didn't always pay off—most notably on the drum & bass excursion "Streets Calling Me." Inside casts the net just as wide, drawing in slow minimal techno ("Da Creator"), R&B-sounding dubstep ("S.T.A.R.S.") and plenty of reggae. Throughout, though, Inside feels remarkably cohesive, drawn in close to serve both the individual tracks as well as the album itself. That's because, production-wise, Bolivar has never been more astute, embellishing every track with samples and a wealth of detail that never seems fussy or mathematical. Sergio Aphro's vocals ride high in the mix, but are used to great effect on things like the moving "Down by the River." Perhaps the biggest surprise of Inside, though, is that there is no singular anthem ala "Nospheratu" or "No Meditation." Then again, it's hard to be a tall poppy in a blissfully big opium field.
  • Tracklist
      01. Intro 02. The Price You Pay 03. Montparnasse 2 AM 04. Da Creator 05. California State of Mind 06. S.T.A.R.S 07. United States of Pulshar 08. Empty Suitcase 09. Down by the River 10. Distant Fire 11. Above the Wall 12. Stepping Stones
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