Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 02/06/2007
Swedish producer
John Dahlbäck, cousin of
Jesper Dahlbäck, had already released a lifetime's worth of music when
Kompakt issued his first full-length as
Hug. Prior to
Heroes, there were over at least 20 solo 12" releases (as
Hug,
Huggotron, and
Kaliber) and roughly as many with various partners (as
Beckster,
Hugg & Pepp, and
Mark & John). Most of this happened before
Dahlbäck turned 21. It could be the new standard for saturation. That level of productivity couldn't possibly leave enough time to ensure uniqueness in each release, and it's that issue that is the key factor in
Heroes' fleeting pleasantness. A track from each of his singles for
Kompakt's
K2 division is reprised, while eight new tracks round it out. They're all between 5:25 and 6:36 in length, so you could say
Dahlbäck is either overly formulaic or that he has his lean and supple form of
techno down to a science. There's truth in both sides: each track is immaculately produced, and some of them -- such as
"The Platform," "Heroes," and
"Fluteorgie" -- are rich in dynamics and idiosyncratic sounds, but several play out with a similar arc and fail to leave a lasting impression beyond their cleanliness.
~Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
;)
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