The title says it all: Andrea’s new album Living Room doesn’t go full throttle on the dancefloor – instead, it follows in the footsteps of Warp’s era-defining Artificial Intelligence compilation. That is to say: robot or not, Living Room is best enjoyed as an armchair raver. Moderate tempos, just enough bounce – if you wanted, you could.
The album hits its first peak with »Lorraa« in the third slot: a track whose appeal lies in broken rhythms, the strategic use of silence, and gloriously gelatinous bass. And yes, it could, if it wanted. But Andrea’s approach is consistently more subtle – his signature lies in the tactility of his sound design. Each track reveals sonic nuances that might go unnoticed in the usual club setting. In many ways, this is the Open Ground of bass music albums: padded, velvety, and resistant to excess.
The level of detail – like the gentle crackle riding the pads on »Reactions«, grounded only by a few stray strings – is impressive. Tracks like »Texture End« or »Olderback« might sound hopelessly overstuffed in less skilled hands. But Andrea handles them with such precision that even insectoid dub chords glide effortlessly across the stereo field. What you’ll find on this LP is not only overwhelming music for overwhelming moments in your own head, but also a goldmine for ambient intro nerds and radio DJs who simply can’t help themselves.
Living Room
