Just a quick Public Service Announcement. Do not, and I repeat DO NOT, start listening to this album if you have anything else do to for the next 90 minutes but groove out, dance, and funk up your day. Purple Disco Machine has dropped a heavenly LP that solidifies his place amongst the best modern disco producers in the world.
The 13-track LP, ’Soulmatic’, is the first major work by the German artist Tino Piontek. Since 2009, when Purple Disco Machine started remixing tracks by the likes of Jamiroquai, Gorillaz, and Claptone, we have been waiting to hear what he can do when left to his own creation, and boy it’s a treat. Heavy hitting featuring artists, obscure and obvious samples, thick & juicy bass lines, and red funk beats, are thrown at you at such an alarming rate it can be difficult to keep track,.
‘Music in You’ opens, setting you up for a world of disco delights with a bass line that you just want to take for a walk. Sampling Daft Punk and featuring Lorenz Rhode, this track uses a house based chorus and verse progression that already shows off the ability of Piontek to layer disco based elements together to create a fantastically produced disco track.
‘Body Funk’ has a driving bassline with well worked samples from ‘Hot Streak’ by Body Work that will be perfect if you have some head nodding and/or strutting to do. Getting the nagging drive to dance and not sit still happens often in the album, with ‘Love For Days’ a pure 70’s disco track. You cannot sit still.
Cee Lo Green makes an appearance in ‘Pray for Me’, (produced by the Bag Raiders of all people!) showing off his delightful vocal ability around an uplifting soul and disco track. ‘Devil in Me’ has been out for a couple of months, but I still have not gotten tired of listening to it. The well loved and well used sample ‘Private Number’ by Judy Clay and William Bell, with a much deeper and and rhythmic sound. ‘Take it Easy’ featuring Crush Club is a 80’s style, high flying, soul soothing song that would be perfect listening on a warm summers evenings.
The title-track ‘Soulmatic’ is a purely instrumental affair, with proper house bass lines and solid bongo samples that make your ears pay attention. It is pure layered beats, with so many details to sink your teeth into. ‘Mistress’ featuring Hannah Williams is a classic house track, uplifting vocals, funky beats, driving bassline. The deep and bassey disco continues with ‘Let the Music Play’
‘Memphis Jam’ featuring Kool Keith and ‘Encore’ featuring Baxter are both slower, more down-beat tracks and a perfect way to cool down as the last 2 songs on the album. Sitting at a slower BPM, both tracks allow you to appreciate the ability of Piontek to create such a wide variety of tracks at such a high quality.
You can see that ‘Soulmatic’ is an album that has nearly a decade of sampling and remixing experience and production behind it. It is an album that grabs you straight from the opening track, and doesn’t let go until the end. Clear your diaries for the day then take a listen.
Rating: ★★★★☆
“Soulmatic” is out now via Sweat It Out Records, and if you live in or around Berlin you really should get down to the Prince Charles on November 9th for the official album launch party!
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