Sinkane – Mars

DFA Records, founded by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and Mo’Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy has become something of a ‘seal of quality” when it comes to dancemusic with an edge. Focussing on a wild, but compelling mixture of disco, postpunk and 80ies-infused weirdness, artists such as Holy Ghost!, The Juan MacLean, The Rapture, Mock & Toof, Hercules & Love Affair, Woolfy, Shit Robot and many more found a home in the New Yorker record label – sometimes temporary, sometimes constantly. A new addition to this impressive artist roster is twentysomething Ahmed Gallab aka Sinkane, a musician with roots in Sudan, now living in Brooklyn and having already acted as the multiinstrumentalist he is for acts such as Yeasayer, Caribou, Of Montreal and others. To avoid any confusion – in Europe, the album is released via City Slang.

With “Mars”, his full-length-debut-album he somewhat picks up the tradition of the DFA-label and gathers a various range of influences and styles – be it disco, afrobeat, soul, funk, jazz, pop and even a tiny bit of punk – but more in the spirit than in the sound itself. Deeply, but not flashy, rooted in african traditions, “Mars” is also held together by a characteristic approach to music, sound and production – breezy and effortless, but still solid and – most of all, extremely mature without being boring or aloof. A highly entertaining and artistically rich piece of work.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/53957048 w=500&h=281]

 

Yours sincerly,

Mikka