Trickski – Unreality (Suol)
Release date: 17.06. 2011
Formats: CD + Digital
Catalogue numbers: SUOLCD002
2005-2011. A long time for someone in the music business. After releasing their first vinyls on Compost Black Label and Sonar Kollektiv in 2005, it took Daniel Becker and Yannick Labbé (TRICKSKI) six years to release their first full length album (out on SUOL June 2011). Daniel Becker commented that some of the tracks are „really old.“ Listening to the album, not one track falls out of the scheme of nowadays music trend, though, which means TRICKSKI have been pioneers of the current movement.
Westzeit.de stated correctly:
„Time has worked for Daniel Becker and Yannick Labbé. Their (…) Discohouse is, facing the hype around the New Yorker Wolf+Lamb and Nicolas Jaar, on the right time at the right place.“
SUOL showed a good taste when they decided to bring out the debut album of Trickski as second release after Fritz Kalkbrenner’s „Here Today Gone Tomorrow“: the high anticipations were not disappointed and Trickski, who already made some statements in the music scene through previous releases on other labels in the past just catapulted themselves a bit higher in the DJ and producer stardom with this album.
If you have followed Trickski over the past years, you might have noticed that those guys are not to be described with just one tag: they have produced tracks in Detroit-manners, but also very jazzy stuff, deep house, slomo-house, funky styles, a lot more than you assume listening to. The good thing is, they do not seem to care in which categories their tracks are divided into – which holds the doors open for new experiments and musical freedom.
„House music for dark, intimate clubs, where the reality of everyday life is shut out for one night“ (Trickski) – Unreality, a word that does not exist in the books. It is meant as a reflection of the scene, standing for people who search for an escape from life on the weekends, at places where other laws seem to rule. „Unreality“ stands for all the things that everybody wishes for and those that we don’t want to be true – all the „unrealities“ life itself offers.
On the album, they have collaborated with Fritz Kalkbrenner (who, in my opinion kinda stood in the shadows for too long a time because of this well-known brother Paul), amazing singer Ernesto from Goteborg, and Irfane Khan-Acito from Paris.
With „Unreality“ Yannick and Daniel have produced a masterpiece in my ears – there are a total of 17 tracks on the album and each and every one is individual, bearing its own colour. Some might think while zapping through the tracks the red line is missing, but I advise you to take your time to actually „listen“ to each one. You will get the flow.
The tracks alone are very delicately made. Together, they offer a wide range of art. Trickski breaks with the rules that everything has to be unicoloured. That is why I like this debut album very much – you never get bored listening to it! All in all the album is very mature and shows off loads of effort – „a slow evolution,“ it is called and I totally agree.
The singles „Wilderness“ and „Good Time To Pray“ are already released, the next two are in preparation. The whole album has gotten so much great feedback and it is not surprising that Trickski is listed already with two tracks in the top 100 list of deep house music worldwide.
Another news is that Goldener Westen has produced the new music video for Trickski’s „Good Time To Pray“ – I had a sneak and am looking forward to the responses by the audience!
So here it is, the stylistberlin-review for Trickski’s „Unreality“:
Unreality – Trickski (SUOL)
01. Slowestens (3.17 / 95 BPM)
Quite a long prelude. About half a minute after the first beats, piano tunes reminding me of James Blake begin. You get absorbed in the slow melody. Quite a courageous pick to put „Slowestens“ as first track on the album, one might think, but it is indeed the perfect introduction to the whole album, making you curious for more. Very slow, soft, chilled.
02. Beginning (6.47 / 100 BPM)
Half a minute minimal intro part: describing the beginning of everything, where nobody knows where the „new thing“ is taking you. The female voice repeating „Beginning“ takes you to a journey of watchfulness and expectations. Around 2.00 the beat is getting more tension. Around 2:45 the beats are getting stronger, after a short minimalistic pause, around minute 4 you get beats, melody, and voilà. Another good track.
03. Basic Tool (4.59 / 121 BPM)
I love this one that BLN.FM does as well – it spreads a good mood to everyone who is listening. As the title says: apparently made out of „basic tools“, this track is held minimalistic, with a steady rhythm, with a light melody jumping on the basic beats – maybe not made for the biggest club floors, but definitely good mood-„happy times“-music! Check 1:38!
04. Good Time to Pray feat. Ernesto (6.47 / 115 BPM)
Absolutely my favourite track on this album – the Good Time To Pray Single review is following soon (amazing remixes by some great artists)!
Starting right off with vocal humming and a strong beat, this track takes you everywhere you want to be! Around 0.55, the background melody loop reminds me a bit of my favourite track by Format:B (Bootcut from the Steam Circuit Album). When Ernesto begins to sing around 1.30, you fall in love with the beats, the melody and you cannot help but sing along: „Wind is sweeping us away / winter’s creeping closer / and it’s getting colder (…) A Good Time To Pray“ or humm along the background vocal.
“Even though this track is a slow house banger flying deep under the normal house head radar of 125bpm it still doesn’t loose it’s pace” (Couleur)
A great work, Trickski can be very proud of this one. Five stars.
05. Jazzmags (interlude) (1.17 / 123 BPM)
Might be a tingling ode to past music styles. One of the shorter tracks on this album, so you get off the great impact of the previous GTTP and are ready for Wilderness.
06. Wilderness (5.17/ 105 BPM)
Daniel likes this one. The first single as well which gained a lot of recognition from fellow artists and labels. Very minimalistic in my ears, you can move to it, the main melody is catchy and around 2.00, with the vocal intro you can perfectly dance to it. It is built up very delicately and you can hear the love with which it was produced.
07. Can’t Get Through (4.42 / 110 BPM)
Okay, „Can’t get enough“ starts with a somewhat weird „torn“ vocals, but the beats get you right away. A track best played in clubs. The message „I can’t get through to you … and I don’t want to be true to you“ somewhat is sad, but maybe just speaking out from loads of Berliners – „I want you … every day“ but still not getting it. A track that does not get kitschig until the end. „I want you even more“ maybe that is the frank statement of men and women. Don’t we all want what we don’t get? Hah.
08. Reggae (interlude)(0.25 / 0 BPM)
Hahaha. That must be a pun! A few seconds of beats and humming – and then the interlude just stops! Love the humour of Yannick and Daniel – and think that they might also produce great reggae music at some point.
09. Love’s A Beat feat. Irfane Khan-Acito (5.37 / 120 BPM)
This track makes you want to move permanently. I can just repeat, I am not a fan of vocal house, but this one is, mind the expression, really „cute“ J You can hear that those guys had fun recording it. And the repeating melodical drumming will catch your feet right away. The cymbals accompanying the recurring beats along the vocals are funky. And yeah: „Love IS just a beat in our hearts,“ ain’t it?
10. Miami Face Interlude (1.09 / 120BPM)
Old school tunes and beats! Very very 80ies. Kind of a break in the album, still groovy. Nevertheless, maybe all these interludes are the reason why some of the critics found the album is not showing „consistency“ enough – but seriously, do you want an album with some statements or filled with 0815 tracks that sound all alike…?
11. Love Song (5.48 / 108 BPM)
For a love song, this track doesn`t start in a light mood. Basic drum beats, minimalistic melodical beginnings, quite deep voice over the slow song, 108 BPM only.
At 1.46 the song gets interesting. Trickski is singing here (I must say frankly, I prefer Daniel singing on Sun Beams In The Sky-absolutely hot!) and the idea of putting vocals on this track was good. It develops to a track that might not be my favourite floor crasher in my ears, but will work perfectly on the dancefloor to make your body move. Looking forward to it!
12. Point 0 Album Version (6.32 / 116 BPM)
The beat gets you right from the beginning, cymbals starting around 1.00, reoccurring rythm as red line for a minute, afterwards making space for the voice (2.30) – „Welcome to point zero, your personal retreat“ – and then you can say at 3.00 the second part of the track is beginning. Two in one? Works for this one. Prefer the second part of the track, adds a little spice to the minimalistic beats of the first part. These 116 BPM is sufficiant to make you dance!!!
13. Nachtmusik Edit (2.29 / 122 BPM)
I like the piano on this one, would have worked on the whole track, on the other hand, am not so fond of the electronic melody, kinda hard and old school elements.
14. Without You feat. Fritz Kalkbrenner (5.25 / 118 BPM)
„Without your helping hand / without your amazing grace / without your soothing words / without you and your love (…)“ – SUOL label mate Fritz Kalkbrenner lent his vocals for this track. The chorus is nicely made, not one of those „come on and dance“ messages which you can find easily on dance tracks, actually „talking stuff“, telling a story. The lyrics were written by Fritz Kalkbrenner himself. You can say it’s kitsch, but I say it is better than some meaningless blah blah which you can find on other tracks by other artists. The melody is catchy, and it is definitely a track that has loads of potential. Was test-playing it to several people from different backgrounds – the entire feedback was excellent! It works for all kinds of occasions. Must-have track.
15. PBK (interlude) (1.16 / 105 BPM)
Payback – if that is what you get because you did something bad – I would do it again ;) Coming to the end of the album, you are getting used to the interludes. Standing in contrast to the calmer tracks, still under 125 BPM, of course, it kinda prepares the listener to the following one. Old school style again – not one of my favourites, but it works on the album and that is great!
16. Unreality Album Version (5.39 / 107 BPM)
The track that gave the album the title. Feel the vibes, imagine you are at Panorama Bar, it is still dark outside but you know that dawn will break soon. The people around you are in delirium already. You are there, inmidst the crowd, soaked clothes, what matters is the rhythm you feel. The last beat of this track echoes in your ears, leaving a sense of dreamy atmosphere.
17. The Escape from Mallorca (1.50 / 72 BPM)
It sounds as if you were playing an old record – that fades when you expect the track to begin. Like a short story of Hanna Lemke. Could have been another „really slow“ track, but Trickski decided to let it fade out, leaving a sense of the end of a party that ends when it feels like the peak of party time and an ending it is, because it is the last track on the album.
*****
„The album asks you to wip along the beats, no matter what you are doing at the moment“ (jmcmagazin.de) – certainly a must-have-item in every collector’s possession.
Certainly, not all the tracks are going to be on my all-time favourite playlist, but the album, if I had to pick, is definitely in my top 5 right now. It’s hard to compile work of several years to one thing, but IMHO, these guys did a great job and have made their big step into the front rows of artists with „Unreality“.
I totally agree that is is „more than enough rhythmic under 125 BPM“, „loads of ideas and love for the details“ (sueddeutsche.de). And as SD in Groove (No.131) described perfectly: „Deepness and vocals produce a very natural sex-appeal“, pointing out to „Good Time To Pray“ (feat. Ernesto) and „Love Song“, „Without You“ feat. Fritz Kalkbrenner. „Unreality is an ode to the slowness on the dancefloor and just because of that it is bursting with hymns for the night.“
Triggerfish.de wrote: „The high expectations towards Yannick Labbé and Daniel Becker were not only rightful, they are also fulfilled.“ And further: „Other electro artists offer the escape from reality in rainbow colours, TRICKSKI stay in the shadows and offer you a nightlife, that rather points out to the first syllable than the last one.“
There was one rather critical review by Andrew Ryce (RA), who called „Unreality“ a „disappointment“, but he was the only critic that „dared to“ write anything but good about the debut album by the duo, disagreeing with the rest. I do wonder, because I respect RA very much, but everyone else in Berlin I have asked personally was praising Trickski to „stardom-heaven,“ for example:
* Daniel Brandt (Scott, Brandt Brauer Frick, !K7): „They produce superb music. I really like their stuff!“
* DJ Shir Khan (Exploited Records, Black Jukebox, Fritz Radio): „Their music is fantastic. I like them a lot!“
* Nhan Solo (Semester Musik, OFF Recordings): „Those guys are dope.“
Yes, „Unreality“ is an album with loads of slow tracks, somehow dark and very calm, but nevertheless pretty much danceable in the clubs. To sum it all up: This album is amazing. And I mean it. I have seldom listened to such a sexy album that does not get boring, even though the tracks are under 125 BPM.
SUOL has digged out some gold with the two guys, that is for sure.
Keep an eye on these guys, Trickski!
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