Ricardo Villalobos - Thé Au Harem D'Archimède

First of all, this guy is a production virtuoso. Villalobos is in the same league as Alex Patterson and Richard D. James.

This release is no exception to his brilliant catalogue of music. The album is bookended by the two best tracks: "hireklon" and "true to myself." They are two of the most hypnotizing electonic music tracks I've heard.

While tech-house and especially minimalistic techno can begin to eat away at your consciousness after a while, Villalobos's work is a ray of sunshine.

In the case of this album though, that ray of sunshine is warm but dark. These tracks wreak of menace and brilliance. Highly, highly recommended.

ps. If you are like me and rate the tracks on your albums, here's a tip: the worst track is "Hello Halo"--but since he's so far above most other producers, it's still pretty good.

I was somewhat surprised upon recieving my LP that the version of "Hireklon" is very different from the CD edition of this album. The style is more abstract and meandering, and alas does not include the textured, reverberated handclaps of the CD version. Frankly I'm a bit disappointed with this remixed "Hireklon" and would much rather play the CD version at a party.

This is a flat out brilliant release. It has the classic Villalobos feel. But, if I needed to add an additional adjective to that it would be 'experimental.' He starts off with some stormers in Hireklon and Serpentin. He hadds some interesting strings in Hireklon to complete the piece. There is no 'formula' in place for any of these tracks and they each have a mind of their own.

Brilliant. The use of different instruments in this is somewhat unusual, ecletic if you will. However, it's the sound of the harp in Hireklon that is the most amazing. The layers of sounds, the reverbed hand claps that sound like real hand claps, not from an 808.

This is minimalism for years to come.

I think that Ricardo Villalobos has made one of the best albums so far this year, I'm referring to "The Au Harem..." This is a new reading of funk. Sure, I know that some won't dig Ricardo's latter complex beat programming and texture layering, but I think this is seriously great stuff, intended both for mind and feet, succeeding at reachin' your soul, and with a very own sound, which of course is highly remarkable these days. I love the aquatic texture of the latin percussion and appreciate he's so far from the boring "tribal" house scene by adding extra hot sauce to his glitchy afro-caribbean techno. A true musician. And yes, IT makes you move.