And You Thought Prince Was Spending The Summer In London
Originally half of the now defunct IDM pioneers Funkstorung, Michael Fakesch has long since been earmarked as one of the most innovative names in electronica. Now out on his own, Fakesch still melds hip hop with lo-fi electronica as was his trade with his previous partnership only now there is a heavy emphasis on pop. Seeping out of every track, pop is clearly the key for Fakesch new work, making his debut solo offering Dos one to please the hardened electronica fan as well as those who simply dip in now and again.
Pulsating its way out of the speakers, opener 'Escalates' literally makes you stop dead whilst you try and figure out if Fakesch has done the unbelievable and actually got Prine to collaborate on his debut work. Alas, it seems the Purpleness himself has not yet woken up to Fakesch (but then he is currently living in the O2 Arena so who could blame him). Instead Fakesch has acquired the vocals of Taprikk Sweezee, a man with a falsetto that coats every line he sings with an easy to swallow sprinkling of sugary funk and soul that you can't resist. As Fakesch tweaks with crunches and digital blips to infuse a sense of interest and funk to the work, 'Escalate' quickly and confidently charms with a pop sensibility that instantly has you tapping along to the beats. Continuing the Prince resemblance, 'Complicated' offers a sexy soulfulness that sadly gets a little lost under the thong of scratchy crashing beats, a shame considering the allure of Sweezee's vocals. Indeed this seems to be the downfall of Fakesch's album. Whilst he is clearly a man for whom mixing is a gift, there are times when you find yourself struggling to hear the vocals and ending up a little frustrated that the slew of blips and crunchy beats block Sweezee's falsetto. Luckily this is not a major problem on album closer, 'Channel' wherein Fakesch shines, perfectly slapping a bass line laden with funk alongside catchy dance inducing beats and simply allowing Sweezee to show just why he could fill in for Justin Timberlake if the occasion ever rose.
Filled with funk and vocals coated in soulful goodness, Dos is a promising debut from the man who made his name in the USA mainly through remixes for Bjork and the Wu-Tang Clan. Although at times it is hard not to feel frustrated at the obstructions that obscure Sweezee's vocals, Fakesch still has the ability to lure you into his world and will inevitably have you mindlessly tapping along to his funk fused beats.