- Sven Vath’s annual The Sound of… mixes compile proven floorfillers from his club season at Cocoon in Ibiza onto two CDs. It is a basic concept, but thankfully it’s always dressed up in a rather amusing package: this year’s Ibiza theme was ‘Freakshow’ and the CD is decorated accordingly, with Sven dressed up as the garish Roman emperor of the dancefoor. Like a dance music version of Simon Cowell, Vath’s myriad huckster skills—besides DJing, he’s no slouch as an A&R or a club entrepreneur—are showcased on this popular long-running series, but music-wise, after volume seven setting new benchmarks for quality, this one falls a little short.
Even without must-have contributions from Audion and Agoria, disc one (“Freak”) is a twisted commercial techno and minimal extravaganza with an absolutely sick peak-hour back-to-back combo that includes James T. Cotton, Steve Rachmad, Argy, SF’s own Worthy, as well as the always welcome Joris Voorn. Up and coming DJs take note: Vath has a very canny ability to champion a good track no matter how unknown the producer is. Homeboy’s got taste.
What is in doubt, though, is a sense of momentum, and some occasional mixing would have been nice too. Many of the tracks simply go on for too long, and the effect is rather bloated.
Disc two (“Show”) is dedicated to the afterparty and again it’s a trainspotter’s wet dream with keep-your-eye-on-your-record-case cuts from Jamie Jones, Tolga Fidan, and Martin Buttrich. Even more directionless than the first disc (is it the drugs or the hangover?) the disc’s closer “Rhapsody in Pain” by Pepe Braddock says it all really—bombastic techno possessing an “up yours” like glee.
With all of this excess, a second look at the cover and you’d have to say Sven was posing as Caligula, surely. Overall, though, while …Eighth Season is a hedonistic sleazefest that well represents Cocoon at Amnesia, it’s just as liable to bore you as entertain.
TracklistCD1 - Freak
01 Radical Majik - Dub Rider
02 John Spring - Ready To Broadcast
03 The Amazing - QU’EST-CE QUE VOUS
04 Plan Tec - Espias Psiquicos (Jonas Kopp Psiquic Rmx)
05 J.T.C. - Take ‘em Off
06 Steve Rachmad - Moog On Acid
07 Joris Voorn - The Deep
08 Argy - Unreliable Virgin
09 Worthy - Irst_te? (Claude VonStroke Rmx)
10 Chrom - Cygnet Glace (Raudive Rmx)
11 Fausto Messina & Dariush - Compulsive Disorder
12 Alter Ego - Why Not?!
CD2 - Show
01 Tolga Fidan - Tanbulistan
02 Junior Boys - Like A Child (Carl Craig Rmx)
03 Paulo Olarte - Solo Tu (Isolée Rmx)
04 René et Gaston - Meluche Ideale
05 Alejandro Vivanco - Madre Tierra
06 Jamie Jones - Harajuku
07 Mark August - Old Joy
08 Martin Buttrich - Hunter
09 Chaton - Catch The Beat
10 Pepe Bradock - Rhapsody In Pain