After almost a year and a half of COVID-19, people deserve good vibes. New Zealand producer and DJ collective Flamingo Pier feels the same, and releases their self-titled debut album. On it:: Music that needs a dance floor instead more of isolation. As on the two previous EPs, the trio ignores genre boundaries. Nevertheless, this project sounds more coherent, less thrown together. Euphoric disco sounds meet modern styles and exotic sounds. The dreamy trip-hop of Moloko can be found here as well as the house of Masters At Work refined with Latin American sounds. »Lost But I’m Leading« opens with a penetrating synth melody, but then – carried by funk guitar and clapping snares – transitions into a warm disco piece. »Cosmic Sunset« pushes a powerful bass loop to the fore and lets the percussion dance wildly around it. »Eternal« tries piano and saxophone instead, driven by briskly pounding electro drums. In between all these elements, vocals keep slipping in. But the singers never push themselves into the foreground, rather see themselves as unexciting accompaniment. Flamingo Pier could have produced bigger hits. More structure along pop lines would have been necessary – but also less style. Fortunately, the band decided against it.
Flamingo Pier
