I’m not sure what’s in the water over at Danny Wolfers’ bucolic alpine studio, but anything that keeps the quality so high on so many releases is something I want in on (unless it’s some Robert Johnson style deal with the devil). The man’s numerous mixes are often jam-packed with unreleased material, and some of my most eagerly anticipated have been under the name Trackman Lafonte, tracks of which could be found on podcasts that both Wolfers and Crème honcho DJ TLR issued for us late last year. Now finally out on Crème Organization, these tracks remain no less potent and no less addictive — another reminder (as if we needed one) that Legowelt remains at the height of his powers (and rumor has it Xosar also contributed to this release… perhaps she’s Bonquiqui?).
“Fortune of the Lord” cranks up the heat with a minor-key progressions and lo-fi claps, all strung together with a tripped-out pseudo-sermon vocal. “More Than A Cat Has Ever Seen” is a bit more inward looking, using a similar tonal palette but ramping up the hazy, mystical qualities that the layers of analog synths naturally give off. Flipping the record over, “The Feeling The Force” jacks straight out of the gate, while “Fascinating Facts” ends the package on a somewhat gloomy note. The label of raw, analog house is hardly a novel one these days, but within that (sometimes rather restrictive) definition, Trackman Lafonte & Bonquiqui manage to craft a highly original 12″ I expect to be a rather longstanding occupant of most DJs record bags. In the vast ocean of Legowelt material it’s easy to lose one’s bearings, and bright flares are sometimes necessary to single out the exemplary releases — this most certainly is one.
