2.5

Release data:

Michel Bekkering – Cosmopolitan Dances
CD-R, Private Release, 2010

“Cosmopolitan Dances” is the second album by Dutch synthesist Michel Bekkering, who’s also a member of the band Modular White. According to the press-sheet, the music (which was already finished in 2007) takes on a vintage-oriented approach.

The first and last section of the 23-minute “Tango Hypnotique” occasionally reminds of the repetitive structured music of Kraftwerk’s “Minimum Maximum”, but this track suffers from cohesiveness to keep the listeners attention all the way.

The chill-out “Theatre du Poupee” seems covered under an unearthly but accessible veil, despite the short experimental, psychedelic outing in the second half destroying its mesmerizing effect.

The album though is brought to a beautiful closing with the almost 22-minute “Jive dans le mouvement lent”, another composition with a cyclic structure and overtly hypnotizing impact.
Here, the various elements do cling together to an atmospheric outcome. A spatial, slowly evolving and circular sequencer pattern sets the pace, with a spherical backdrop of airy textures moving things forward into soft roaming and warm chill-out spaces.
This quality track surpasses the previous two by far, entering a rewarding, comfortable sonic world of its own (although I would have rounded it out at the 16-minute mark)

I’d preferred the whole album to be in the style of this final piece.

Website: www.myspace.com/michelbekkering