BnB Review: Marco Carola - Play It Loud!
Written by Youri Jozee
Techno -
Italian techno mainstay Marco Carola returns with his first album in nine years, to be released soon on Richie Hawtin's M-nus label. Expectations were big, but are they met? Full review after the break...
Marco who?
The name of Marco Carola may not sound familiar immediately to some, yet the Italian DJ/producer has been one of the most consistent faces in techno music for the past fifteen years. True, we never see his name gracing the top ranks of the Beatport charts or those nonsensical DJ Top-whatever list, yet the man is considered one of the most credible and authentic forces in the game -especially in Europe- and still knows how to bring a festival crowd to its knees. Marco Carola. Remember that name kids.
So, he’s a shy guy, eh?
Nope, he's the type of guy who doesn't care about silly popularity rankings and other shenanigans that distract him from what it's all about: the music, and he’s damn right too. It’s been nine years since his last album (Open System, released on Zenit), but this new longplayer definitely makes up for the long wait. It’s been produced with a typical Marco Carola DJ-set in mind, making it not just a collection of singles but a continuous flow of techy rattles and dynamic patterns. And in case you’re wondering what the title stands for: the album is mastered in such a way that the many layers of the tracks (with an extra emphasis on the bass, yay!) sound like they should sound when played at high volume: crisp and clear.
Go on…
It would be nonsense to describe each track individually, so let’s look at the album as a whole. Play It Loud! has become a very dynamic and smooth mix, in which (sometimes minimally structured) tech-house and stripped-down techno funk are fused into one flow of beats and bass. The most remarkable thing about this album is that each track has been produced with as little extras as possible. Percussive elements are gradually added and taken away, while each tune is rooted in a steady array of carefully placed drums, beefy kicks and catchy drum jamming.
So any ‘best tracks’ on this album?
Like I said, it would be nonsense to judge the mix by each track individually, but if I had to pick I´d say Light House, One Man Show, Freak On and Play It Loud! are king.
Any less good tracks too?
Nah, although the album could have used a bit more power in the middle part.
Final thoughts please!
Play It Loud! has become a high quality tech-house/techno album fueled by continuous injections of funk. The rhythms are more complex than they may appear, a strength Marco manages to exploit by playfully reshaping patterns throughout each track. The result is a very dynamic and vivid album jam-packed with beefy rockers just the way we like it.
Watch out for an exclusive interview with Marco Carola, online soon!
Rating: 8.0/10
Label: M-Nus
Release date: February 7th, 2011 (physical), February 9th (digital)
Tracklisting: 1.Intro
2.The Jingle
3.Magic Tribe
4.Kimbo
5.Light House
6.Black Box
7.The Tool
8.Suspense
9.One Man Show
10 Freak On
11.Groove Catcher
12.Rolling
13.The Method
14.Equinox
15.Pop Up
16.Play It Loud!
17.Over Love
18.Question of Time
