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Prommer, he of Voom:Voom, Fauna Flash and Trüby Trio, has now added a DrumLesson of a string [of life] to his bow. And Vol. 1 is a magical must have.

He was a regular on the early editions of Compost’s The Future Sound Of Jazz and in that guise, he’s a star on the latest version, Vol. 11 with a DrumLesson remix of Koop’s ‘Drum Rhythm A’.

So, it’s the simple idea at the start of this project. For a bit of fun, “Lets do an acoustic jazz version of Derrick May’s techno classic ‘Strings Of Life’”. Sounds daft doesn’t it but wait, Rhythim Is Rhythim’s tune is now 20 year old and has stood the test of time. Lets get some guys who know their jazz like Roberto Di Gioia (piano), the percussive talents of Wolfgang Haffner and, Ernst Ströer (all three of them have been in Klaus Doldinger’s Passport) and on bass Dieter Ilg (who has played with Dhafer Youssef, Bugge Wesseltoft and Nils Petter Molvær) while Christian knows all about the dancefloor.

While, in some ways, this album is all about ‘Strings Of Life’ (it’s already been a huge crossover hit with its 12” release), it comes as a bit of a surprise that it was recorded some time ago at Prommer’s Munich studio sitting on a shelf waiting for Alex Barck (of Jazzanova) to get the word out that ultimately got it into the clubs and now this album.

That said, be prepared for some more surprises and talking of hits, there was none bigger last year than ‘Rej’ by Inner Visions/Sonar Kollektiv’s Âme. This version gets a Latin jazz kick of huge proportions and wait for the super first class bongos of ‘Trans Europe Express’! Kraftwerk finally gets to the jazzdance DJ booth with a TGV of a piano solo. While the percussion takes off, the piano is actually really quite moody. Like Peter Hammill on speed with Robin Jones!

On the same tip, check for ‘Beau Mot Plage’. The name is a phonetic reinterpretation of a beach that Isolée went to as a child but this is no chill out beach bar tune. No, this version is so hard it will surely turn up at this years’ Dingwalls’ reunion or the Murphy/Peterson Xmas Shuffle.

Staying with the percussion of Nuyorican Soul’s ‘Nervous Track’, the style here turns from dance to the very theatrical with the piano sounding like a sound track to a silent movie at its peak. So it’s not all about the dance floor. ‘Elle’, the DJ Gregory monster that featured on Gilles Peterson Worldwide Vol.3, sounds a touch classical as does ‘Claire’ with the strings and cellos. There’s also ‘experimental’ interludes of ‘Drum Lesson I-IV’ but don’t let that put you off.

But he’s not done with your head yet. What about a jazz version of Wink’s ‘Higher State Of Consciousness’? Strictly Rhythm’s re-launch early this year and went for a solid choice of some new remixes on a 12” but nothing sounded like this version On this months’ Mixmag cover disc has Josh Wink’s Acid Classics “celebrating two decades of acid madness”. Can you imagine Michael Garrick doing a version of ‘Vodoo Ray’? This is what Prommer can envisage and create.

To say Sonar Kolletiv are in a purple patch is a huge understatement but this project is the best of the lot and in many ways, I hope they don’t attempt a Drum Lesson Vol. 1 remix of ‘back to techno’ as this album is as near perfection as it is possible to be. And there’s Drum Lesson Vol. 2 to be getting on with…

I’m told the first outing of the live band was awesome at the Sonar Kollektiv 10th birthday party and their next gig is at Southport on 3rd November. If you’re lucky enough to have tickets, don’t miss this one.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Beau Mot Plage’, ‘Trans Europe Express’, ‘Strings Of Life’, ‘Rej’, ‘Nervous Track’, ‘Higher State Of Consciousness’, ‘Elle’

Reviewed: Christian Prommer’s Drumlesson — Drum Lesson Vol. 1 (Sonar Kollektiv) Cat. No. SK162CD Release date: 29th October 2007
Tracklist:
1. Drum Lesson I
2. Can You Feel It
3. Rej
4. Plastic Dreams
5. Drum Lesson II
6. Trans Europe Express
7. Elle
8. Claire
9. Drum Lesson III
10. Higher State Of Consciousness
11. Strings Of Life
12. Beau Mot Plage
13. Nervous Track
14. Drum Lesson IV

Links:
www.myspace.com/christianprommer
www.wolfganghaffner.com
www.myspace.com/wolfganghaffner
www.passportjazz.com
www.joshwink.com
www.mixmag.net October 2007 — Josh Wink’s Acid Classics
www.myspace.com/mixmagmagazine