Albums
November: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Pangaea, Romare, Mandar and more
Michael Mayer '&' (Kompakt)
There’s so much top-rank talent on this album, it could easily have been a complete disaster; too many cooks spoiling the broth, a ghastly showbiz-spectacular bit of back-slapping and farting about or just a hodge-podge with no clear identity. But then, this is Michael Mayer we’re talking about here: the Kompakt co-founder so rarely puts a foot wrong that our hopes were high, and they were met. Mayer has always had an ability to weave the richest dancefloor cheese into forms both experimental and emotional, and here he’s chosen exactly the right people to amplify different sides of his music. Barnt, Kölsch, Gui Boratto and Roman Flügel are recruited for all of the sweeping electro-techno epics; Joe Goddard, Miss Kittin, Prins Thomas and Ed from Friendly Fires for any heartstring-plucking dancefloor weepies; and pianist/composer Hauschka for an extraordinary piece of 1989 style rave. Occasionally it’s a little over-sugared, but overall this is simply dynamite.
8/10
