After what many people thought was a disappointing third album, the excellent The Sun & The Neon Light, much-loved German electronica duo Booka Shade are back to their club-shaking form for the most part. A wise move probably, as many were alienated by the largely tranquil sounds of the last LP – even though we loved it. But as you would hope with them, it’s not at the expense of subtlety, beauty or indeed progression.
I like any album that kicks off a track with a track called Havanna Sex Dwarf, especially when it’s as kooky, funky and silly as this one – a total departure from anything they’ve done before, as if to boldly say that once again they’re not going to play by the rules and people’s expectations. A manic, bouncing lead line cascades down topped by vowel sound synths and detuned flute and whistle style noises, while farty bass occasionally grunts and glitchy samples flit in and out of the mix. So far, so fun.
A new mix of recent single Donut takes the spooky sounds of the original and cuts it down to more album style, with some cool flourishes giving it more of a home listening feel. Regenerate is the first track to hint at their past – falling between the spacey, gentle atmospherics of their last album and the pulsing dancefloor throb of past glories. Spacey, hypnotic and sexy, it eventual unfolds into twinkling, 8-bit melody and warming chords. The Door channels acid house bass and womping LFOs for some spacious grooving, with Teenage Spaceman laden with anthemic, festival style melody and a deep, rich sub bass line undulating underneath the taut, snappy beats.
Divine is a highlight, beginning with a ticking clocking panning alternate strokes left and right, and a deep, throaty, spoken male vocal, before a seriously stomping beat and low-down bass thump the track into life. It’s got a pleasing tribal chug to it and again is something completely new from the duo. Scaramanga delves into some sweeping, classic house strings, leading perfectly into the plodding beats and deep tech contemplation of L.A.tely.
Chelonis R. Jones provides one of his best vocal turns in a while on the gorgeous Bad Love, an absolute stunner with classy, subtle strings, twinkling melancholy melody and some interesting fills and edits breaking up the gently rolling rhythm. Its euphoric breakdown will be labelled cheese by detractors no doubt, but for the less self-conscious amongst us it helps to make this one of the sweetest tracks they’ve ever done. No Difference harks back to the instrumental passages of their last album, its boldly twanging guitar sounds and beatless soundscape also recalling timeless Balearica. Unfortunately the bright and breezy This Is Not Time is, although not without its charms, somewhat of a lightweight closer.
In terms of finding the balance between the sound that most people love them for and the beautiful but underappreciated mellowness of The Sun & The Neon Light, they’ve done a very good job, and really found that sweet spot – but evolved their sound at the same time. Somehow there isn’t quite such an impact as an album as a whole on first listens, but that’s not to say it’s not a wonderful piece of work. It will keep you coming back for more, and fans are unlikely to be disappointed. A pleasing return.
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