After the 12” release (Don’t Wait) earlier this year, Alex Niggemann’s collaboration with Poker Flat Recordings continues with the release of his debut LP Paranoid Funk.
An ear-catching feature of some tracks on Paranoid Funk is the bass lines. On The Sweetest Thing the bubbly bass, subtle peak time siren, whispered vocals by Daniel Solar (label co-owner of edit label Dikso) recall the early days of house music. The dubby bass of Curious complements the deep melody and spacey effects of the track. And on That Is…!?, a classic Chicagoan boompty boom bass intertwines with an old school vocal loop and dark synth swashes.
The album continues with Easy Love featuring Wareika member Florian Schirmacher on vocals. The track is practically void of any melody and leans heavily on its subtle, subliminal effects. Its chopped-up vocals and dark bass make it a perfect track for a sweaty underground party.
A personal favorite, Parentless Child, deepens the sonic scope of Paranoid Funk with its night-drive synths and italo-flavored melody. Another highlight of the album, Street Therapy, evolves slowly from an ambient start (street field recordings) into an irresistible groove, stripped of anything too fancy and ideal for spicing up the narrative of a DJ set.
The album two closing tracks, Back to Basics (featuring spoken word by Benji) and Lovers (with John Rydell on vocals), underline the main sonic scope of the album which emulates elements of dance music history into contemporary tracks.
With Paranoid Funk, Alex Niggemann joins the steady resurgence of deep and groovy house music with a collection of well-produced tracks with addictive bass lines.
8/10 - Patrice Knap
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