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review by Dene Bebbington Peter Mergener is well known for his work in the field of electronic music both as a solo artist and in collaborations such as Software. Lounge Control is his latest solo album, and not surprisingly given the title it's what could best be described as lounge music. I'm not very familiar with Peter's past work so I can't say too much about how this release compares to his other works but I can say that it's a good album and doesn't seem to be a re-run of what he's done before. The press release states that it's his most cheerful album so far; well, no arguments from me about that because cheerful is a good word to sum it up. What immediately struck me about this album is how it has a definite chilled out flavour while also having plenty going on to keep one's attention. The music is split fairly evenly over eight tracks coming in at between six and nine minutes, each of these are discrete pieces which are distinct enough without sacrificing the overall feel of the album. Setting the scene is the wonderfully rhythmic and melodic "Electronic Lounge", incorporating snippets of peoples conversations as though overheard in a bar or café along with synth pads and upbeat grooves, it manages to be lively and laid back at the same time. On some tracks in particular ("Electronic Billiard Café" and "Casino Lounge" come to mind) the use of sound samples like pool balls being potted, the subdued clinking of crockery or glasses, the noises of a roulette wheel, or snatches of conversations, Lounge Control transports the listener to chilled out environs where people are having a good time. Musically the album is pretty chock full of pleasing rhythms, percussion, and melody; sounding modern and even a tad "trendy" it nevertheless has recognisable Peter Mergener motifs such as synth drones and a little Berlin style sequencing. Lounge Control works particularly well because it manages to be both lively and relaxing at the same time, it's definitely an album to put on when you want some cool grooves to listen to. It should be a welcome addition to anyone's collection whether or not they're aficionados of lounge music. |
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