With Sarah Sommers, a strikingly singular figure debuts on Ellen Allien’s BPitch label. For several months now, the bright pink gesamtkunstwerk in Barbie aesthetics has sparked all kinds of reactions in the electronic dance music world. Some criticize the consistent aesthetic self-staging of this seasoned raver, while others praise her heavy, physical hardware live sets to the skies. Her musical legitimacy, however, becomes undeniable with the release of her mini-album VIVID.
It features five tracks that reflect both contemporary and historically grounded rave expertise. Contrary to the assumptions Sommers often faces due to her appearance, this is not carnival techno or trance. On the contrary. »Shed 14« and »Speedub« deliver full-bodied dub techno; the latter, with its vivid tempo changes near the end, puts the live character of these hardware jams on display. »Bubbles« charges ahead but feels more like a mix of UK Garage and Robert Hood–esque minimal techno. Sommers frequently inserts abrupt breaks that—see above—trigger the sensation of club presence and offer a glimpse of how effective this all must be on an actual dancefloor. »Tresor« glides dub stabs over a moderate drum machine backbeat, while »Sunrise« evokes, heard or unheard, the aching memory of those timeless moments from the past festival season. Two more tracks that further underscore Sarah Sommers’ extraordinary talent as a producer.
Vivid Mini-Album
