Artist: Terranova
Title: Hotel Amour
Label: Kompakt
Rating: 9

Terranova was borne out of Berlin in 1996. Fetisch is the one original member who has continued with the project, which has characteristically brought together styles of house, hip-hop and punk and shifted between vocalists and members.Ghanian DJ &Me joined in 2007 and the duo signed with Kompakt. Musically Terranova’s goal continues two decades on, about reaching that place of vibrancy in the music that keeps parties happening and alive.

No stranger to deep house rhythms, the maturity of the act is evident on 2012 release Hotel Amour opening with the enigmatic “Question Mark.” The track transmits a unique combination of heavy bass drums, calming classical-y oriented synths, and vocals that hit the heart (by Whomadewho’s Tomas Hoffding). The melody weaves into your emotions by way of the old school, and as the record continues Terranova wreaks good vibes of deep house days gone by.

“Paris Is For Lovers (My Love)” (also with vocals by Hoffding) reminds us of the power of keeping things low to the ground and not going all out when you don’t need to. Lyrics borrow from “My Love” by Justin Timberlake transforming that fluffy pop song into a skillfully produced house track with deep synths and varied beats.

The layers and depth to the music are noticeable here track by track. “I Want To Go Out” kicks off with arresting warmth of synths and vocals before slipping into the intricacies of the track. And “Aint No Thing” (featuring Snax) brings electro pop sounds (similar to the riff of Britney Spears’ “If U Seek Amy”) and generates the message of celebrating life, conquering our fears and not sweating the small stuff. Another brilliant transformative take from pop music back to the underground.

Solid song after solid song grows Hotel Amour into an inarguably stable record. For those with a grasp on the roots of house and techno, right now may be the perfect time for Hotel Amour’s good energy to be pushing its way into a party near you.

Sarah Ferguson