Various – Cocoon Compilation H

Hype text from the label:

Alongside Sven Väths "Sound of the Season"-Series the letter compilations are Cocoon Recording's most anticipated product. They express Väth's view on the current state of club music. Months before the season starts, Sven Väth and Cocoon Recordings' Label Manager Pauli Steinbach meet up to discuss who are the producers who's music excites them most right now. The selected musicians are invited to contribute to the compilation. The result is released in a limited box of six coloured vinyls and as a CD. Each of the tracks unfolds on a side of its own, the artist is introduced with a short portrait. Connecting Cocoon's activities to the diverse club music scenes from all over the globe, the twelve tracks work as a multifaceted manifesto for Cocoon's activities of the upcoming summer. The H Compilation promises an exciting season: Each track sounds special and unique and yet all the artists share a collective acoustic vision. They develop a stirringly euphoric rave sound with a 'housy' subtlety. Each track is a different stage in a mutual journey through the artificial paradise of electronic sound. The spectrum of the featured artists covers esteemed musicians and upcoming artists from the likes of: Joris Voorn, Oliver Ho or Len Faki appear alongside Simon Baker, Mark August or Matt Star.

The tracks are so individual that it is hard to tell which one will become a hit – but for sure there will be a few. Cassy Britton's "A Plea for Me” is as charming and sweet as a techno track can be. It is fascinating how Cassy manages to create a rich and suggestive mood with so few short looped elements. With its vocals, Joris Voorn's "Deep Side of the Moog” picks up the vibe of Cassy's track. Voorn develops a rich atmospheric vibe, he manages to fuse a Detroit sensibility with an overwhelming euphoria. Oliver Ho's "Tempo” relates to his Raudive-Releases and combines an ultra-rough yet super-funky house groove with besetting disturbing sounds. In their collaborative track, Roman Flügel and Sven Väth develop a mind distorting synthesizer frenzy without giving away the least bit of their electronic coolness. Merging wide-ranging sounds into complex structures, Simon Baker creates a very special sexy tension in his "U”. Len Faki's "Death By House” combines the slow, meditative speed of a deep house track with the captivating energy of his highly influential techno productions. "Diablo” by Oliver Huntemann and Dubfire's "Diablo" are the kind of tracks that soak you in completely: its combination of efficiency and elegance make you feel like flying in a supersonic aircraft. In "Us And Them”, Tolga Fidan displays his special talent of composing graceful melodies which are arranged in an acoustic labyrinth. Gui Borratto combines a linear cologne-styled groove with haunting ambient sounds. Efdemin's "Float” has a vibrating staccato groove whose energetic centre can't be seized. The fine-grained sound textures remind of a cloudy sky. "3 Of A Kind” by Mark August is a moody tech-house track which fixates certain emotional states in order to drive them into escalation. H's conclusion is the humorous and tribal-styled "I am Dreaming” by Matt Star.

Suggestive, but not escapist; immediate and straight, yet full of fantasy: The H compilation will be a devoted companion of summer 2008.

With the last couple of letter releases for Cocoon, it has seemed to follow the same trend. You get a lot of tracks which all are written & produced quite well, yet nothing that really grabs your attention. There is always one outstanding track. This time it is Len Faki's 'Death By House'. This one track saves the entire comp from impending doom. There is just something dark and underground here which cannot be denied.