Title: Small Chamber Works
Artist: Northern Lite
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 27th June 2008
Label: 1st Decade Records
Album Review
Three years after their foundation in Thuringia in 1998, the duo NORTHERN LITE released their first full-length ‘Small Chamber Works’ in 2001, which considered as a rarity among the fans and so the band decided to re-release the album as a big Thank You to the fans.
I was absolutely surprised by this strict electronic sound, the band celebrates on their debut as I recently got to know them through their latest work ‘Super Black’, a whole new experience so to speak. The songs have been built up in a very minimalist electronic style, but with the strong dance appeal, the band is known for. Need examples? Good, let’s take the first track for starters which would be ‘Looking at you’, initially consisting only of a short repetitive loop, followed by a funky beat, getting enriched with massive percussion work. You wouldn’t assume it from the title, but ‘Be Here’ is actually very individual re-interpretation of the DEPECHE MODE song ‘In Your Room’ which wouldn’t be out of place in a club or even on a techno event for instance.
Again there are minimalist song structures at work, teaming up with the monotonous, but somehow hypnotic vocals of Andreas, he also presents during the following ‘Past & Present (Part One)’ where the pace is raised again. ‘Kick This’ and ‘Catch it’ take the same line as ‘Looking at you’ or ‘No’, but ‘Catch it’ combines it with scattered piano lines and creates a slight jazzy feeling before ‘Away from you’ finishes off the album… no, not quite, additionally the guys packed some live bonus tracks on top of it, however real live feeling doesn’t arrive as these tracks of course have their qualities, but except a low background noise, they could be studio recordings as well.
‘Small Chamber Works’ shows, where NORTHERN LITE come from. Here they gonna celebrate the pure electronic minimalism, fascinating if you look at their sound now and how it has developed. For fans it is a Must Have, for people, who just know them from their newest works, it might be better to take a listen first.
Tracklist
01. Looking at You – 6:30
02. No – 8:11
03. Be Here – 5:25
04. past & Present (Part One) – 6:24
05. Kick This – 6:34
06. Catch It – 7:41
07. Away From You – 5:11
08. Pilze (Live) – 4:32
09. No Tears (Live) – 5:04
10. Alan Long – 14:55
Line-up
Andreas Kubat – Vocals, Production
Sebastian Bohn – Co-production
Website
http://www.northern-lite.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/northernlite
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 7
Extras: -
Total: 7
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