Garcon Taupe/ Legowelt
Split LP Series #4 - Garçon Taupe / Legowelt

A Norman Records recommendation (19th November 2009)

...according to our Ant on 19 November 2009.

Dutch east-coast producer Danny Wolfers is a man of many hats, his most prolific and successful being Legowelt. His style draws heavily from primitive and raw Chicago house, Detroit techno through to classic and obscure early synthesizer music and soundtracks. When Phil told me we’d be getting stock of his split LP with Garcon Taupe, I was excited to say the least. As soon as the needle hits the vinyl his distinctive style is immediately apparent with bubbling analogue synths and Roland drums. Sadly the opener ends prematurely and so feels more like a sketch, nevertheless it still sounds great. I really love the retro/futuristic sound here. Working primarily in the analogue domain and armed with a large collection of vintage synths, Wolfers effortlessly creates his fictional worlds which are neatly suitable for both club and home listening purposes. The third track is gorgeous with its disembodied and emotional vocals. The man can do no wrong as far as I am concerned, like the electronic synthesizer greats, he really makes those synthesizers sing.  There are four highly infectious and melodic tracks here and so I would say this side is a nice addition for any Legowelt collector, although this it is nowhere near as essential as some of the Legowelt records. I get a totally euphoric vibe from these house/ techno/ disco hybrids. A perfect balance of dark and light elements. Onto the Garcon Taupe side then... I’m not familiar with this artist at all but what I’m hearing is some cool melodic electro with arpeggiated basslines. The feeling is quite uplifting and retains a rawness in the rhythms with proper 808 drum machines. There’s even an acid electro track that really gets me going with its hand claps and 8-bit style bleeps. The tracks have a lush box jam spirit to them. ‘Plop Tech’ has a wonderfully innocent playful edge with its pitched up vocals and simple melodies. A synth melody eventually appears in the mix which is reminiscent of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ which surely can only be a good thing in my book. Cool stuff on both sides and number four in Narrominded’s split LP series.