FORT ROMEAU 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Some seven years after his last full-length excursion, Fort Romeau has finally got around to delivering a new album. Beings of Light is every bit as gorgeous and picturesque affair, with the Chester-born producer adding waves of attractive synthesizer sounds, colourful electronics, cascading guitars, dusty samples and loved-up riffs to sturdy deep house beats. The album's multitude of highlights include bluesy, post jazz-house number 'The Truth', the tech-tinged late-night wonkiness of 'Power of Grace', the sturdy and druggy after-hours chug of 'Ramona' and the dreamy lusciousness of title track 'Beings of Light'.

Review: It feels like dance music itself is on permanent vacation right now so it seems apt to be listening to tunes from a label that has long been using that name. This time out, Fort Romeau returns to Permanent Vacation after an EP here earlier in the year, this time with three more psychedelic dance floor explorations. 'The Wind As It Took Her' kicks off with a sleek and futuristic house sound run through with warped bass, and the melodic overtones continue through the spacious and roomy 'A Far Reaching Light.' The deepest and nubbiest of the lot is closer 'The Mirror' which will get you in a trance.

Review: It can be hard to predict what Fort Romeau will do next. While he's always excelled at making evocative, melancholic blends of vintage deep house, instrumental synth-pop and glistening electronica, he's prone to frequent stylistic shifts, as his eccentric 2015 outings on Cin Cin and Running Back neatly demonstrated. For this EP on Live At Robert Johnson, he's back to his deep and emotion-rich best, laying down a trio of tracks that emphasise mood, melody and simple beauty over the demands of the dancefloor. "Facing The Sea" is the most obvious club-friendly of the three - think chugging, hissing rhythms, winding melodies and Behaviour-era Pet Shop Boys chords - though it's the intensely beautiful "Seventyfour" that really stands out.

Review: Ann Arbor's Spectral Sound has dutifully kept its finger on the pulse for the better part of fifteen years. Their latest offering sees current darling of the UK scene Fort Romeau commission four of Frankfurt's finest to remix selected tracks from his "Insides" LP. First up long standing local legend Roman Flugel steps up to remix the title track displaying his majestic and unmistakeable touch. Orson Wells delivers a stunning early '90s Prescription Records vibe on his remix of "Lately". Although not technically from Frankfurt but undoubtedly a close member of the Live At Robert Johnson family; Massimiliano Pagliara delivers his epically cosmic rendition of "All I Want". Lastly the Tuff City Kids do what they do best on their retro throwback rework of "Cloche"

Review: The Fairlight CMI was arguably the most 1980s of all instruments; a hugely expensive music computer (read synthesizer with add-ons) that was so complex that it came with its own engineer (if Cabaret Voltaire's Richard H Kirk is to be believed, at least). Back in the day Prince, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush and the Pet Shop Boys were all fans. You can add to that list Fort Romeau, who has dedicated this sumptuous 12" of lilting, dreamy, synthesizer-heavy ditties to the infamous machine. It's all exceedingly luxurious, with nods to synth-pop and intoxicating deep house amongst the bubbling, disco-influenced rhythms, bold melodies and even bigger chords. The tear-jerking "Saku III (Vogel Mix)" is probably our pick, but the whole EP is pretty tasty, to be honest.

Review: Given the saucer-eyed beauty and analogue rich grooves of his 2012 debut album for 100% Silk, Kingdoms, it's perhaps unsurprising that Sam Velenti moved quickly to sign Matt 'Fort Romeau' Green to Ghostly International. A pair of impressive EPs later, Green delivers his second LP. It's another cracker, with breezy, occasionally electrofunk-influenced analogue deep house and leftfield synth-pop grooves being peppered with an enticing range of dreamy chords, curious vocoder vocals and, most notably, deliciously evocative melodies. It makes for hugely enjoyable listening throughout, with highlights including - but not confined to - the new age ambient bliss of "IKB" and humid, chiming "Cloche".

Review: Given the saucer-eyed beauty and analogue rich grooves of his 2012 debut album for 100% Silk, Kingdoms, it's perhaps unsurprising that Sam Velenti moved quickly to sign Matt 'Fort Romeau' Green to Ghostly International. A pair of impressive EPs later, Green delivers his second LP. It's another cracker, with breezy, occasionally electrofunk-influenced analogue deep house and leftfield synth-pop grooves being peppered with an enticing range of dreamy chords, curious vocoder vocals and, most notably, deliciously evocative melodies. It makes for hugely enjoyable listening throughout, with highlights including - but not confined to - the new age ambient bliss of "IKB" and humid, chiming "Cloche".

Review: There was a time when mention of Fort Romeau would come prefaced with the words "La Roux's keyboard player" but it's a mark of Mike Greene's production development that his stint on stage with Elly Jackson and co. is becoming but a distant memory. First surfacing under the moniker on a clutch of 100% Silk 12"s, Fort Romeau has since flirted with the Ghostly International label but this debut for Live At Robert Johnson is perhaps his most high profile release so far. Certainly his brand of dreamy, off kilter but eminently percussive house slots in nicely with the whole aesthetic the Frankfurt institution has cultivated, with B Side hogger "Her Dream" particularly intoxicating.

Review: In pandemic times of telepresences and social distancing, Live At Robert Johnson and Leipzig's own Riotvan team up for a magical musical mission. Encompassed by the graphic design of Michael Satter & Panthera Krause, each of the five tracks has been created by teams representing both label crews and their environs, rendering a truly synergetic effort. A1 is Roman Flugel & Rebolledo producing deep and wide Star Stuff with arpeggiated bass riffs, haunting vocals and melody. A2 sees Jennifer Touch & Chinaski setting off on an electroid Synth-Pop trip, with crafty 1980s synths, drums and vocals. A3 is New Hook and Perel teaming up for a Cosmic Disco tinged track, featuring unique spanish-english vocals. The flipside kicks off with Fort Romeau & Panthera Krause on B1, heavily into a stereophonic and proper Italo soundscape. Horkheimer & Peter Invasion & Gregor Habicht conclude the EP on B2 with a wicked technoid Breakbeat along a modulating bass line and, yeah, a looney laugh befitting these crazy times.

Review: Ms Cardini presents four more fabulous excursions in indie dance music, courtesy of her always reliable house of Correspondant. Following up the first volume which had some highly valued contributions courtesy of Khidja and Jonathan Kusuma, the second edition features hot Tel Aviv duo Red Axes with the dark disco odyssey of "Earth Core" and Fort Romeau's surprising appearance on the A side. The flip showcases the fresh sound of Colli Alban firstly. His track "Walking In The Night" is a real highlight, where he serves up some darkwave slo-mo trance. Finally label staple Javi Redondo impresses as always on the dreamy and hypnotising groove of "Heroin" channelling the majestic vibe of fellow Cologne label Kompakt.