Remember Today

Album review

The world of German dance music that's inhabited by the likes of Kompakt, Playhouse, and dozens of other labels has never been shy about its love for '80s pop, especially the kind that appeals to dancefloors: ABC, Scritti Politti, OMD, and the like. Italic producers Borneo & Sporenburg (Daniel Varga and Frank Wössner) are one of the most explicitly '80s-minded teams, especially considering that their work involves the occasional song-based vocal track, in addition to brighter tones that don't fit in with the more nocturnal majority of micro-house productions that have come out of their home country. The duo's first full-length, Remember Today, follows a pair of 12" releases for Stefan Schwander's Cologne-based label. Apart from the absence of both sides of the excellent "Hunter" 12", along with a couple moments during which the mind fights the temptation to wander, there's not much to complain about. The opening "Boys in Shorts" is the most noteworthy track, a sunny afternoon shuffle with sparkly acoustic guitars that are almost guaranteed to raise goose pimples when they change chords. The especially warm "Somewhere in Metropolis" falls somewhere within the low-key, sophisticated parameters set by Raydio and Pet Shop Boys. These two songs and the closing title track are sprinkled throughout an album that's more or less dance-oriented; tracks like "Roxy" and "What's Going on Tonight" are just as sleek and stark as anything from Swayzak or any of the duo's labelmates. While relatively concise for a modern-day full-length (and all the better for it), Varga and Wössner leave little to be desired here. A second album as good as this would be nice, though.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo