“Sunshine is in the continuity of Trip to Illusion”
1 New York 7:58
2 Onyx 4:49
3 Biowave 7:57
4 Klangfarben 6:06
5 Sleepwalker 7:50
6 Strings and Superstrings 6:33
7 Sine Fields 5:19
8 Neolectric 6:07
9 Callipso 4:48
10 Floating (Live) 6:06
11 New York (R-Cut) 4:20
(CD-R/DDL 67:59) (V.F.)
(New Berlin School, EDM)
Why change a winning formula? SUNSHINE is in the continuity of Trip to Illusion. A lively opus that bears the signature of a leading band of this new German wave of synth pop genre. A more fluid, less robotic and more melodic Kraftwerk that is shaped in the electronic spheres of the MellowJet Records label from Andreas Braun and Detlef Dominiczak, the two names behind Wellenfeld.
NewYork starts this 4th opus of the Berlin duo with a reverberating drone effect. The falling rhythm is straightforward and curt with good percussions and their tssitt-tssitt cymbals, a good bass-pulse line and above all good sequences crammed on a conveyor belt and dancing on the spot. Keyboard keys create a catchy synth-pop style of electronic melody as the synth scatters scarlet streaks. This first good impression freezes in an ambient phase before reforming the whole thing with a good synth solo. A track that has everything to please, New York introduces us to an album rich in musicality, rhythms and melodies. Onyx follows with bouncy sequences that seem to draw electronic rodeo patterns. The sequencer releases a line of jumping balls that are dribbled by a sober set of slamming percussions à la Jean-Michel Jarre. The synth throws fluty riffs while hanging a melody that suits well to this EDM fusion that sounds like some good Moonbooter. Biowave is a little apart with its languid and sensual rhythm gravitating around a good sequence with alternately jumping balls, creating a stroboscopic thin line, and which snakes a mellotron's milky way and strewn with cosmic effects. A good space ballad that precedes Klangfarben and its base of cybernetic Techno caressed by hazy arrangements and melodious piano lines in a rhythmic spiral the most commercial of SUNSHINE. Sleepwalker offers a lively and nervous rhythm structure with a good Techno vision that will turn into electronic dance music. The rhythm hammers out a dose of dull beats underneath dance floor arrangements with those weeping violin layers. Various percussive elements destabilize the listener who likes to hear a rich sound fauna in this driving dance structure. Both for the sound mass and for the jewels developed as percussive elements. Solid dance music here, especially with a second part energized by a more diversified sound fauna! Strings and Superstrings is a progressive synth-pop with a poly diversified rhythm structure. As much in the richness of the rhythmic elements as in the speed which suddenly goes against the grain, a brilliant trick which gives a second impulse to a structure which would be like the others in this SUNSHINE which is too easily guessed. Sine Fields is a good lunar down-tempo with undulating effects and tasty caned percussions. I like the Chill-Out trend with chords that melt away as they spread their charms. A nice track here with fog clouds filled with bellowing violins. Neolectric is a little gem that exploits a down-tempo marinated in Chill-Out. Creative and original with keyboard lines woven in nostalgia and that static rhythm bouncing around with jerky effects. There's a lot of life and rhythmic direction on 6 minutes! Callipso ends in a smart dance music vision to make way for the super fast and lively rhythm of Floating (Live). This is techno and electronica at its finest here. New York (Radio-Cut) shows us that Wellenfeld's music can play very well on FM.
There are many dance anthems in this SUNSHINE. Wellenfeld goes for an album that is closer to the dance floor and synth-pop than his other albums. It's not really my cup of tea, but it goes over well and is melodic enough to make me stop and listen.
Sylvain Lupari (May 7th, 2008) *****
Available at MellowJet Records