The Floor Is Lava

The Floor Is Lava is Michael Mayers first solo album on Kompakt since 2012s cinematic-inspired Mantasy; since then, hes issued a volume of the DJ-Kicks mix series and the collaboration-focused & on !K7, as well as a handful of low-key singles and EPs. The Floor Is Lava is eclectic and sometimes unabashedly playful, particularly taking inspiration from the early days of house music, when sampling was a fresh concept and the creative process was more of a free-for-all. "The Problem" nearly sounds like deep house with its low-slung groove and manipulated horn samples caked in vinyl crackle. Spoken samples, including a message about searching for positive solutions, collide with thick, booming drum breaks. "Vagus" adds a touch of suspense by blending melodica and flashes of spaghetti Western guitar riffs with thumping house beats, while "Feuerstuhl" has more of a dreamy glimmer to it. "Kiss and Tell" has midtempo breakbeats, cowbells, and gleeful chords reminiscent of the era when house music first began to infiltrate pop. The albums biggest club heater is "Sycophant," which injects an Orbital-reminiscent bell melody into a propulsive rhythm elevated by a continually rising frequency. "The Solution," seemingly unrelated to "The Problem," is an ecstatic progressive house tune with a starry-eyed vocal. The unexpectedly poignant "Susser Schlaf" ends the album, with excerpts from a Goethe poem inserted into a crisp drum cadence and a delicately plucked acoustic melody. One of Mayers most adventurous efforts, The Floor Is Lava is filled with surprises and left turns. ~ Paul Simpson

言わずと知れたコンパクト主宰による8年ぶり4作目。時折洒脱なブレイクビーツを織り交ぜながら太いベースラインでグイグイと展開していく様はシーンを牽引してきたリーダーの風格をしっかり漂わせている。後半に入ると"Ardor"～"Sycophant"と鳴りの良いトラックをショート・エディットで矢継ぎ早に聴かせるが、こうしたトラックこそ現場で聴きたい。
bounce (C)野村有正