On this evidence, the Spaniard John Talabot is one hugely talented producer. His reputation has been steadily building through 12-inch releases on Hivern Dis and Young Turks, but this is his first album, and he rises to the occasion with an enchanting piece of work. The key to Talabot’s success is the warmth he gets from spacey keyboard textures and fairly slow, disco-influenced beats – but if this all sounds familiar it gets a treatment that makes it somehow sound totally unique. This would appear to be down to his ability to look forwards and backwards at the same time, so when we get a track like ‘When The Past Was Present’ we get block chords from the rave era, but dressed in beats that feel futuristic. The guest vocalist Pional brings out Talabot’s pop sensibilities in ‘Destiny’, a fine piece of song writing, while ‘El Oeste’ explores a darker side, adding a frisson of danger. With the sort of textures you want to dive in to, fIN is a wonderful home listening experience – but has the edge to work a treat in the club too.
5 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
