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Oliver Klein - Gallery.
This September, DJ and Producer Oliver Klein releases his debut album 'Gallery' on Kling Klong records.
In the world of electronic music there are weekend warriors, and then there's Oliver Klein. Unpretentiously driven by his passion for music, Klein has assumed different roles throughout his thirty-year career, anywhere from the offices of Artist & Repertoire, to his preferred realm of expertise behind the turntables. Considering his diverse mix compilations, magazine cover stories, the memorable gigs at renowned events and festivals around the world, including regular tours through the deepest regions of South America, one may begin to wonder - why wait so long to release your first LP? The answer is simple and one that any creative soul worth their salt understands; creativity should never be rushed or forced for the sake of it, and it's with this principle in mind that Germany's Oliver Klein finally releases his debut album 'Gallery'. This sleek collection of jacking techno and house jams is a testament to a man who has been perfecting his craft over the course of many years.
"I grew up with funk and soul" says Oliver. He adds with a smile, "My brother is six years older than I and he always bought cool records.... which I tried to steal, of course. Stuff like SOS Band, The Whispers, Kool and the Gang." Since those formidable years, he fell in love with electronica and has steadily cultivated his passion for the music into a way of life. Oliver Klein first burst onto the global dance music scene in the early 90ies, cutting a fine line with a style that fell somewhere between the darker side of progressive house and tribalist techno. Remixes for the likes of James Holden, Thomas Schumacher, Pascal Feos, Robert Armani and Sébastien Leger confirmed his burgeoning status as one of Europe's hottest new production talents. As the years went on his output evolved into a more refined house and new school tech sound. It was around that time that Klein founded his label Mutekki together with Jürgen Driessen, where he released many acclaimed records of his own and also from Anton Pieete, John Dahlbäck and Boris Werner to name a few. As if all of this weren't enough, then there's Kleins duties as head of booking at Düsseldorf's Club 102, the successor to the legendary Treibhaus where he was a resident DJ for many years. It was in 2008 Oliver began his working relationship with Martin Eyerer & Rainer Weichholds formidable Kling Klong label, and it's on that same label where he'll release his longawaited debut.
'Gallery' is a 14-track collection of unreleased collaborations that showcases the varied sides of Kleins production output. The name 'Gallery' reflects this public display of creativity. After getting to know Oliver and a glance at the album credits, it's clear that the making of 'Gallery' was a family affair: "I've been working together with different producers since 1993, so the album is of course also a collaborative project." Beginning with the loose house-jam of the opener "Hey Baby", the infectious and bold intent of the album is established, and then galvanized through the irresistibly fine "What U Got", a track which begins with a cacophonous onset of percussions, and then seems to melt, further and further into deepness. These opening tracks are two of the five collaborations together with the masterful Peter Jürgens (Electribe); the duo also come up trumps with the mischievous techno wiggle of "Slowphatty". Kling Klong label boss Martin Eyerer lends a hand on the super sensual technoid bounce of "Gran Torino", the heady atmospherics on "Century 22", and the stunning ethereal closer "Caleno". Belgian man-of-the-moment Ramon Tapia contributes to the heads-down shuffle of "Straight To The Point" and the tensely slinky big-room minimalism of "My Definition", as well as the retro charm of "Cougar", with its mournful, haunted synth leads. Three tracks with Wollion (Mood Music/Plastic City) and Mario Da Ragnio complete the bundle of eclectic collaborations. The influence of these highly esteemed co-producers together with Oliver Klein combines in captivating fashion; the result being a collection of tightly produced DJ-friendly tracks – a cohesive intermingling of different styles of techno. "The fans who will buy my album aren't waiting for me to make downbeat or chillout tracks.“ explains Klein. "I'm presenting the sort of tracks I've always represented here. It's a good mixture between the styles of techno music that people have come to expect from me." He adds with a twinkle in his eye, "There are really many good tracks on the album, each one is special in its own way."
Oliver Kleins debut album 'Gallery' is a strictly-limited edition release, with each copy bearing individually handmade artwork. Each sleeve features a portrait of Klein drawn by a student from a gradeschool art class in Cologne, where he went one day to be their subject. The result is an album where every single copy is truly unique – a rare and desirable quality in this day and age of homogenous product and identity-less downloads. It's a fitting visual concept for an album that exudes character and individuality at every turn!
Herausgebedatum: 5. September 2011
Label: Kling Klong
Katalognummer: KLINGCD003
Label: Kling Klong
Die CDs können direkt auf der Site [http://www.cede.ch]
oder auf der Site [http://www.directmedia.ch]
bestellen werden.
Die CDs können direkt auf der Site [http://www.vinylnews.ch]
oder aud der Site [http://www.webrecords.com].
Diesen Eintrag wurde am 05.09.2011 durch sven
publiziert.
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