A friend of mine plans to organize a small dance festival in Sarek next summer. That’s as far up north in Sweden as you can get – more precisely Lapland, the last untouched outback of Europe. Imagine yourself dancing in the most beautiful national park in Scandinavia, with majestic mountains on the horisont and a summer sun just won’t set during the night. No roads or villages within 100 km radius mean that the festival attendents will have to hike for one day only to get to the site and the function 1 speakers have to be flown out by a helicopter. CLAAP002 is definitely the vinyl for the occasion.
Songs From The Continents, the second release on GummiHz’ own label Claap, sounds quite familiar yet very different. Familiar since it might at first remind you of another too long Dj tool á-la Ricardo Villalobos. Different since the EP’s playful, ethnic vibe sounds nothing like Villalobos, neither like GummiHZ previous work on Mobilee Records.
Side A – High priest – a blend of chanting children’s voices and skilfully arranged xylophones makes me wanna go and host a party in the yellow deserts of Rajastan. The vibe is nomadic and playful and the kick is nowhere to be fount until 3:30-someting into the track. High Priest is either an advanced Dj-tool or a full production striped down to nothing but the essential elements. The choices is yours.
Side B – Toba Le Le Theme is a similar story featuring song in Patois (native Jamaican language). Do I hear Lee Perry samples here? Somehow it reminds me of the classic movie ”Gods must be crazy” from early eighties. A bit more “grown up”, yet just as playful. After all even the grown ups can dance naked in the sun, it’s all about finding the right place to party. Add percussion and an acoustic guitar straight from the town square in Granada.
All in all Songs from the Continent might be the most the most smile-inducing EP since 2008s Gameplays – Beirut Disco and 2006s SIS –EP with Lilly from the valley.
2011s festivals goers will for sure experience many main act DJs starting their sets with High Priest. Only to make the crowd join hands, dancing in the sun Woodstock style 3 hours later by dropping Toba Le Le Theme as the end tune.
//Dj Skyjacker
Songs from the contintents is out January the 17. Preorder your copy here