Remute (Denis Karimani) has always delivered tough techno, but ‘Grand Glam’, his second LP and first for his own Remute label, is more concerned than ever with dance music’s more seductive hedonism. At a time when subtlety still dominates, in either clickity minimal or forlorn deep house, ‘Grand Glam’, as the title suggests, is all exageration and glitter. It’s hard to imagine a techno album released this year that’s so enjoyably functional.
Unlike the similarly hefty Berghain crowd, Remute is not afraid to smile (or is it a gurn?), and there’s none of their at times irritating dourness. Both the title track and ‘Mass Hypnosis’ look to prime French house for inspiration, while ‘Tefko’ takes on the thrilling pseudo-trance of Eulberg and Ananda. The wordy titled opener is stripped back and functional, like earlier singles for Areal and Trapez, and ‘Sling It’s and ‘Oahahaha’ evoke the luminous house of Kompakt at their disco-tinged best. There’s barely room for breath, but ‘Grand Glam’s enthralling maximalism makes a convincing case for more-is-more on the dancefloor.
Joshua Meggitt
