Article
Michael Robinson

Albums
34423
The Analog Session
ASC
Black Mental vs L. H. Path
Dewa Budjana
Cam Butler
Caragnano & Dozzy
Digitonal
D'Onofrio & Lyn
Dronelock and Ontal
Harris Eisenstadt
Elian
The Eye Of Time
Kit Wilmans Fegradoe
Forrest Fang
Godspeed You! Black E.
Wayne Horvitz
Huntsville
HVOB
Labfield
Monobody
Oscar Mulero
M. Ostermeier
Eliesha Nelson
offthesky
Papir
Piano Interrupted
Qibe
Re-UP
Bruno Sanfilippo
Martin Schulte
Patrice Scott
Soft Machine
Matt Starling
stilllife
Mark Wingfield
Toshiyuki Yasuda
zmi

Compilations / Mixes
BamaLoveSoul On Deck 3
Embark 05
Nummer Eins

EPs / Cassettes / DVDs / Mini-Albums / Singles
Dominik Eulberg
eyesix
Jones & Gregson
Pavemental
Soul Clap / Sphynx
Andrew Weathers
Jeremy Young

VA: Nummer Eins
hafendisko

Though the Hamburg-based label hafendisko label has only been in operation for three years, its effervescent and free-spirited vibe would appear to have come into clear focus. That's at least the impression generated by its first label compilation, Nummer Eins, a digital-only, 108-minute collection that makes a convincing case for the label's club-oriented electronic music and artists such as Unkwon, Kasper Bjørke, and Lightbluemover. Of the fifteen tracks featured, nine are new exclusives while the remainder includes remixes by Ewan Pearson, Jimmy Edgar, Vincenzo, and SLG.

The opening cut, Snacks' “Easy,” establishes a breezy tropical tone in sprinkling exotic bird chatter and warm synth textures over a snappy, bass-prodded strut. Deo & Z-Man's “Penelope” keeps the party going with an irreverent, synthesizer-spritzed stab at nu-disco, whereas effulgent's perhaps the best word to describe Yannick Labbé's blissful reverie “Sugar Coated Insult” and 99 Blows' disco-fied twinkler “Slow Burning.”

Tailor-made for the wee hours, Simon Hinter's “Easyweezy” opts for late-night splendour in its soothing synths, tinkling chimes, and jazzy broken beats. As atmospheric is Francis Harris's “In Case You Love,” an evocative moodscape whose cello-sweetened house pulse plays like an aural transcription of peaceful slumber. As laid-back as it sometimes is, Nummer Eins also includes a number of muscular club cuts, among them Panthera Krause's gyroscopic charger “Oblisk” and Brynjolfur's funky, bass-stomping dub mix of “The Save.”

On the remix tip, Bjørke's “Apart” gets recast as a pulsating, synthesizer-heavy club workout by Ewan Pearson in an aerodynamic, ten-minute instrumental treatment. The collection's poppier side comes to the fore during Vincenzo's acidy makeover of Faded Ranger's “Be On the Lookout,” while LG sweetens the slinky strut of Deo & Z-Man's “Universal Neighbours” with bright, kalimba-like melodies and Jimmy Edgar reboots Tiger Fingers' “Little Drummer Girl” as a sultry electro-funk jam. Refreshingly light-hearted and free of lugubriousness, Nummer Eins offers a welcome two-hour respite from the encroaching gloom of an ever-darkening world and its abundant challenges.

April 2015