Random Circuits

V/A - “Cocoon Compilation H” [Cocoon] (buy)

It’s that time of year again, time when we get to feast our ears on the tight selections that Sven Vath has chosen for his summer annual Cocoon compilation. Sven’s choices usually end up being some of the summers biggest floor fillers take tracks like “Geht’s Noch” & “Acid In My fridge” from Cocoon D as examples or more recently “Tropical Melons” & “Sea Of Sand” from “F” it’s fair to say that Sven knows what will be big over the summer and who he needs on his roster. Cocoon H is no different & like any compilation it has its ups and its downs but i think more ups than downs which makes it more than worth your while looking into to.

H sees producers such as Cassy, Joris Voorn, Len Faki, EFDEMIN & many more spin their stuff. Having collected this series since compilation C there is a definite pattern that Sven goes for all these names of the artists and others which feature are ones that at the time are getting a lot of recognition with music heads and clubbers a like, Cocoon H being no different. I don’t see this as a bad thing because your on to a sure fire winner from the moment you stick the CD into your system of choice be this a home listening device or PC your not going to be disappointed Sven’s choices are prime cuts and ones that will be sure to last the summer and beyond.

There’s a little something for everyone be that the subtle beauty of Cassy and her mellow yet deep house burner “A Plea for Me” or perhaps your more in tune with the more fiercer side of things if so Len Faki’s appropriately named ”Death by house” is for you. Maybe you want to get your groove on to some fine melodic tech house which you will find with Brazilians best export since the samba, Gui Boratto and his luscious melodies from “Golden Axe”. Highlights are in high number and i didn’t find myself skipping many tracks, the only tracks i think i might have quickly passed by were “Diablo”, Dubfire & Huntemann collaborating on a typical track that doesn’t really go anywhere, or maybe it’s just me and my none love for tech house music. The other track’s i found myself siding off to was Vath vs Flugel again too techy for my liking, this isn’t to say that others wont like as i suggest you make your mind up by buying the album and deciding for yourself & the last one that didn’t take my fancy was Matt Star’s “Am i Dreaming”, well the back end was palatable but as a whole i found it a bit of a yawn fest and it ended up being put into the “safe & typical” beatport - tech house bin.

Enough with the negativity and on with some more highlights, one that stuck as instant playback material was Joris Voorn’s “Deep Side Of The Moog”. Now with Joris you know your going to get something solid, Derrick May doesn’t just name check anyone when asked who is doing it for you at the moment. Moog is a good solid track from Voorn  a little techy, easy on the ears & it’s no bore fest with hints of techno, house and even a little trance? “Deep Side of The Moog” will be sure to find its way into a few sets over the summer. Another highlight is Tolga Fidan, quite a favourite here at RC with his unique homegrown style ”Us & Them” fits perfectly & adds a bit of originality to the compilation. EFDEMINS “Float” is one of the standout tracks if not the standout track, for me its a toss up between him and Cassy. “Float” is a soothing deep house number that glides along without a care in the world very airy as you would think being titled Float, EFDEMIN goes about things cool calm and collected and the outcome is great. It’s good to see Leeds boy Simon Baker making his presence heard with “U”. Usual Baker style complex-ed driving melodies that have been layered perfectly U is a pulsating fast ride that will have you from the word go if you like Baker and his techy style “U” is the one for U. 

Mark August mellows things down a tad with a piece titled “3 of a Kind” quite a hard one to describe Mark plays with techy sounds to great success climaxing with twinkling synths and some really good configuration. Raudive AKA Oliver Ho gives us the hypnotic elements with “Tempo” very up and down the levels (well the bleeps) change style and pace eventually climaxing into an all out bleep fest which is backed up by vocal snippets calling out “Tempo” every so often, nice if your into that kind of thing which I’m sure a lot are, not me personally but like a few other of the tracks which feature they have the Beatport “sell quick” factor. Len Faki’s “Death By House” is a devilishly strong commercial techno track that you  will find the likes of Bodzin & Huntemann hammering to death at peak times in their sets. Cassy Britton’s “A plea For Me” is the strongest track on the album after listening to it over and over again I’ve decided this wins my vote, with Float not far behind. Cassy’s one of a kind vocals work wonders with her slick timed rhythmic house beats, this is one track that i want to see a strong remix package come out of. The beats are quality very deep but have a real full bodied house feel to them and when accompanied by Cassy’s haunting hypnotic vocals your on to a sure fire winner.

All in all this is album is about as safe as your going to get this year it’s highly unlikely that you wont find something that you like. For me its about three maybe four tracks at a push, which is quite good to say that me and tech house don’t mix and there is a lot of techy business going on here. Cassy, EFDEMIN, Joris Voorn, Gui Boratto & Tolga Fidan are my highlights. Be sure to check out the album yourself and make your own mind up.

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