Vikter Duplaix

Prior to the release of his artist album, International Affairs, and alongside his extensive production work for the likes of Erykah Badu and Common (not to mention his projects with King Britt and Roni Size), Philadelphia's Vikter Duplaix had a significant impact on eclectically driven dance floors with his downtempo-geared tracks: "Sensuality" and "Manhood." Singles (Prelude to the Future) collects together eight previously released numbers, as well as two remixes, giving insight into one aspect of where the multifaceted musician was coming from pre-International Affairs. Unlike that album, Singles does not draw on various genres that would create an interesting and unpredictable mix. Instead it is strictly one-dimensional, sounding very much like the style of a DJ/artist who would play/produce this type of music, i.e., Jazzanova (who are featured collaborators on a couple of these numbers), Trüby Trio, et al., almost as if it were made with only that scene in mind. This would be fine if it weren't so banal and obvious, ultimately churning out one similar track after another. With Duplaix's rich musical background, it is a shame more influences weren't added to Singles, but they were on International Affairs so there is some respite.