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Those with good memories with recall the excitement of the Rockers Hi-Fi - ‘Push Push’ remixes back in 2006 but the year before, there was the [re:jazz] version of ‘Push Push’ with a Motorcitysoul remix. You will know [re:jazz] as the Matthias Vogt jazz re-interpretation version project and the following year saw the Matthias Vogt Trio album Changing Colours. So it’s no surprise then we’re fans of Motorcitysoul as it’s a collaboration between Vogt and Christian “C-Rock” Rindermann. And that’s when it all gets deep house like soul from the motor city.

Like [re;jazz], they’ve puled in a few guests to assist. To start with there’s Ernesto (not unfamiliar to deep house as he’s already been on Atjazz’ album Full Circle this year) and Ovasoul 7 who featured on the Jazzanova version of …Broadcasting and turned up on the brilliant Gilles Peterson In The House and V.02 Need2Soul compilations.

The ‘Change You’ track is just over the 10 minutes mark and is a killer without dominating the other ten tracks. As I say, this is more than a one track album as it’s one of those CDs that you keep going back. The dubby ‘Movement And Motion’ features the vocals of Marlene Johnson and the upbeat banger of Ernesto on ‘Deliver Me’ equally deserve ‘track of the year’ votes on the vocal front. P.S. the Antony Hegartyesqueness of ‘The Start’ should always be played before ‘Deliver Me’ as its a sublime introduction.

Instrumentally these guys are just as large with ‘Space Kätzle’ and ‘Hatoy’. Some tracks are more tech/minimal/house but there’s a warmth with it that is not always apparent with some producers as with ‘Hermelin’ or ‘XYZ’ for instance or the slow waterfall tinkle build up of ‘Solar’ that particularly stands out. And for variety, there’s 80s synth wobble of ‘Kazan’ but there’s no duff tracks on this CD.

Other notably German deep house albums this year include Roland Appel’s Talk To Your Angeland Robert Owens’ Night-time Stories but you don’t want to miss out on Technique as it’s my current favourite and well worth getting.

Forthcoming dates:
17 Jan 2009 - Dirty Dancing, Brüssel
24 Jan 2009 - Be Cool, Barcelona
07 Feb 2009 - Cielo, New York

Reviewed: Motorcitysoul - Technique (Simple Records) Cat. No. SIMPLECD04 Release date: 18th November 2008
Tracklist:
01. The Start feat. Ernesto (1:20)
02. Deliver Me feat. Ernesto (6:36)
03. Space Kätzle (6:45)
04. Solar (5:15)
05. Change You feat. Ovasoul 7 (10:13)
06. Kazan (Exot Cube) 707 Mix (5:27)
07. The City (6:57)
08. Hermelin (4:28)
09. Hatohay (6:39)
10. Movement And Motion feat. Marlene Johnson (7:14)
11. XYZ (4:53)

Links:
www.motorcitysoul.de
www.c-rock.net
www.myspace.com/motorcitysoul
www.simplerecords.co.uk
www.re-jazz.com
www.myspace.com/rejazzde
http://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast-episode.aspx?id=126
www.myspace.com/ovasoul7music
www.myspace.com/jonatanbackelie