- With dance music, a little humor can go a long way, as heard in Kornél Kovács's recent work. The debut album from Berlin-based artist Chen "Moscoman" Moscovici doesn't quite hit the same heights as Kovács's carnivalesque house tracks, but A Shot In The Light is a strong addition to the canon of playful dance music.
Moscovici, who heads up the Disco Halal label, has already shown a propensity for dropping the odd globe-spanning reference, and he's done so while steering clear of the clichés that can plague tracks inspired by world music. True to form, there's a pan-global thread throughout much of A Shot In The Light, which spirals outward from Moscovici's native Israel. Lead track "Nineteen Eighty-Two," with jangling steel drums, woodblock hits and whiffs of New Order, is exemplary of that style. Ditto "Maltese Duck," which layers its spacey kalimba over a gentle bass throb. Then there's lead single "Mexican Cola Bottle Baby," with a whistling melody that's almost too cute. But the way Moscovici piles on chirps and whistles, in addition to more boings, clings and pings than have any right to inhabit one track, sounds inspired.
Even the more straightforward fare is full of idiosyncrasies, like an unexpected synth sound or a repeating vocal whoop. Mid-tempo chugger "Chickpea" enlivens its grinding low-end with a sparse military snare and a haunted-house organ. The title track pairs an eighth-note bassline with arps and a triumphant, gothy synth melody. "Losing My Wedge" bubbles like an out-of-control percolator. But the album isn't a collection of novelty songs. Each track is thoughtfully produced, and that seriousness works with Moscovici's lighthearted personality to make A Shot In The Light shine.
Tracklist01. Nineteen Eighty-Two
02. Silent Thunder
03. Mexican Cola Bottle Baby
04. Chickpea
05. Losing My Wedge
06. A Shot In The Light
07. Maltese Duck
08. Death At The Funeral