Been Through

Albumbeschreibung

Counting many singles and other efforts over time, Fenin's work has been almost as extensive as his fellow German dub enthusiast Pole's, if not as well-known comparatively, so another album from him is always a welcome one, and Been Through stands out as an entrancing effort from start to finish. A lean 50 minutes of music, its opening track "Dub Eraldo -- Intro" sets the tone by both wearing its dub connections completely on its sleeve and punctuating the core melody with an ever more complex overlay of glitchy beats and abbreviated beats. Compared to the more recently hyped sound of dubstep, Fenin's work seems slightly out of step but this is precisely what makes it more noticeable in contrast -- certainly compared to someone like Burial there's more consistency throughout the full album, much to Fenin's credit. Guest singer Gorbi, a Berlin-based Ghanian singer, adds his vocals to four of the album's songs, all of which are enjoyable if not necessarily breathtaking, though the reinterpretation of the Neil Diamond-into-UB40 standard "Red Red Wine," by not trying to be faithful to the more familiar arrangements, allows both musician and singer to put their own definitive stamp on it. "A Try" has a fine chorus and Fenin's way of underplaying the music to give space to Gorbi is attractive, and has a direct contrast in the directly following "Breakin," a quicker dance number that's at once pure early-'80s electro and Fenin's own early 21st century blend of styles. Meanwhile, Scorcha's one vocal turn, "Complain," is another standout, as is the ominous throb of "Miles and More."
© Ned Raggett /TiVo