Ralf Schmidt, aka Berlin house producer Aera, occupies an odd place in Berlin’s spectrum, if you couldn’t tell from the spectrum-splaying splotches that constitute the artwork of his Aleph Music label. His watercolor-evoking melodies, ecstatic vocal samples and big chunky tunes arguably share more with the new wave of bass-oriented UK house music than anything from his hometown, but he has his own set of stylistic signifiers. An Aera track is often typified by chirpy, gleaming synths, the shattered remains of the big riffs from old rave tracks reorganized and reclaimed by Schmidt.
Kicking off The Third Wave EP on Aleph, “What’s Her Name Again?” could almost fool you into thinking that Aera is the hottest new house flavour to emerge from the streets of London: it’s got a big, laborious kick that seems to drum up trails of dust behind it with every broad stroke, and bright vocal samples that define the groove rather than merely accentuate it. It’s all artificial sunlight as Schmidt stretches out a sample over the mechanical gallop, the looped chime riff entering Balearic disco territory but kept well within Aera’s own little realm of house. “The Drift” is brighter still, its insistent pulse coated and smoothed off as an array of percussive sounds percolate around it. Schmidt cooks up a formidable groove, nudging it with well-placed rimshots and drum rolls until before you know it’s a deafening roar of rave rapture, new layers of percussion constantly being lathered on even when it sounds like there’s no room for more to fit.
Each side is supplemented by a little vignette of sorts, showing off Schmidt’s production prowess in bite-sized nuggets. Schmidt unscrews the A-side for “What’s My Name Again?,” a filter-happy version that sounds like it’s coming apart at the seams as it slows to a stall, elements uncoiling and pooling on the floor in a rather audible mess. A little less weird, “Monte Sacro” builds methodically over three minutes into a mini-hands-in-the-air anthem, as the big room melody is squeezed out in 8-bit chunks. Three releases into his own imprint, Schmidt is establishing a unique style that finds its consistency in restless variation, with each experiment and attempt almost always a success. This one’s no different.
Nice.
YEEEEEEES!!!!