Johannes Beck - Prince of the Night

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  • Mutual Musik is a new, Berlin-based label run by Johannes Beck and Fine Heininger; their moody house aesthetic, particularly on their second record, shares common ground with a new generation of German labels that includes Aim, WHITE and Kann (for whom Beck has also recorded, and whose co-founder Map.ache turns up on remix duties here). Pianos take the fore on the title track, with minor chords struck with a strong forearm, and wreathed in a halo of dub delay and plucked guitar; U2's The Edge briefly comes to mind. The groove is part stomp and part shuffle, with an appealing looseness to the handclaps, and over the course of nearly eight minutes, it veers from sexy to hypnotic to moodily detached. Map.ache's remix goes at the material like a seamstress shirring fabric; he doubles up on the guitar part, giving the chords a feathered feel that's heightened by layer upon layer of percussion, while a chest-caressing bassline lends heft to the air of heartbreak. The White label's Tristen lends a hand on "Midnight," another moody roller for murky chords and crisp 808 handclaps. Somewhat monochrome, this study in the Smallville aesthetic is a DJ tool for the dejected, with ghostly background rhythms tugging the groove subtly off balance.
  • Tracklist
      A Prince of the Night (Map.ache Daylight Remix) B1 Prince of the Night B2 Midnight feat. Tristen
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