Jori Hulkonnen is on a roll at the moment. Not content with delivering an extremely fine electro album under the Nuclear Winter Garden alias, he returns with a solo album of very classy dance music, his first since ‘Man From Earth’, which was five years ago. A satisfying blend of songs and instrumental tracks, the album draws in slower disco influences from Italy, along with some really robust work done on the rhythm section, which leaves us with a satisfying and full bodied sound. ‘Waiting Is What We Have’ is a moody number that brings to mind Empire Of The Sun in its vocal, but by contrast ‘Quick To Judge, Slow To Execute’ works its way into a superb bit of tough electro. ‘Black Books’ mines the Italian connection with its trumpet writing, while the majestic ‘Capetown People’ again shows Hulkonnen at his best, mixing the woozy intro into a piece of lean and slightly mean house. Even after 20 years in the game Hulkonnen is on fire right now, confirming his status as one of electronic music’s finest producers right now.
5 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
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