Audio By Carbonatix
Luomo’s 2000 debut, Vocalcity, was a landmark dance record and a cornerstone in the minimal movement. Produced by Sasu Ripatti (better known as Vladislav Delay), it emitted sensuous tech-house songs as airy and delightful as a cloudburst. After a major-label effort, 2004’s The Present Lover, which mostly revisited Vocalcity‘s achievement, Luomo pushes forward on Paper Tigers via Delay’s label, Huume (which is Finnish for “drug”) Recordings. Instead of heart-rending but danceable beats, however, Delay makes fleeting, arrhythmic patter that disappears at a moment’s notice. Finnish jazz singer Johanna Iivanainen graces most of the tracks, adding structure to music that is often too wispy and melodic. Only the new-age cabaret “The Tease Is Over” allows her to give a full performance, not just vocal lines chopped and ground up in Delay’s programming machines. She’s the highlight of an album that traces the outlines of Vocalcity‘s warm tech-house but possesses none of its purpose. — Mosi Reeves
When news happens, Miami New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If Miami New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
