ALBUMS Hakimonu - Cadences & Frameworks/Worlds Are Born Again

A two-for-one deal here, cos what we have here are TWO recent albums by Israeli producer Hakimonu – something of a mystery man who started out producing trance but has moved in recent years into progressive house, techno and minimal territories.

The first of the two, Cadences & Frameworks, bears the sub-title 'Techno Sketches', which is indeed a pretty accurate description of the sounds contained within. The emphasis is on abstract, often quite melancholic pieces, almost entirely instrumental (bar one or two brief spoken snippets), with Cadence 10: Move really the only excursion onto the minimal dancefloor. Otherwise, this is an album that calls for late nights, sofas, low lights and possibly a jazz fag or two.

The other album, Worlds Are Born Again, isn't HUGELY dissimilar, but it does boast a couple more floor-friendly tracks, and there's also a greater emphasis on melodic and musical elements as opposed to just rhythms and textures… as befits an album that's not subtitled 'sketches', I guess!

I'm no expert on abstract/arty/downtempo sounds like this, so I'm not gonna try and draw comparisons, but when some laidback yet involving listening is required, reaching for either of these albums wouldn't be a bad move by any means. If forced at gunpoint to pick a winner it'd be Cadences… I think, but it's a close run thing.

Out: Now… one of 'em came out late June, the other late July, but your idiot of a reviewer can't remember which way round it was. 

About: Worlds Are Born Again comes to you via Berlin-based label Sleep Is Commercial, while as far as I can make out Cadences… is self-released, so here's Hakimonu's Soundcloud and MySpace pages. Check the latter and you'll see that Cadences… did also come out some time back but don't worry, it's not me being blonde, it's just that it's never had a proper 'push' until now.