- There's one thing Aniara does extremely well: punchy, understated house with a dreamy edge. In the five years they've been running, the Swedish label has issued a steady stream of sleek and addictive club tracks, mostly from Henrik Bergqvist, Dorisburg (whose Trust EP was one last year's great overlooked records) and Genius Of Time, Dorisburg's duo with Nils Krogh (authors of the 2011 house bomb "Houston We Have A Problem" and 2013's equally massive rework of "Love Thang" by First Choice). Aniara's latest record is a rare solo effort from Krogh, who appears under the name Arkajo.
Altavista shows Krogh going just a bit larger than his label-mates tend to—the record has a hint of Northern Exposure-style grandeur. Sleek as they are, these tracks are booming and architecturally complex, built with meaty kicks, busy hi-hats and staccato rhythms filling out the midrange. "Månfras" ("moon phase") and "Altavista" are the heavy rollers, "Mörk Miljö" ("dark environment") is a tad more restrained, but all three deliver roughly the same thing: slamming grooves set against a sprawling cosmic backdrop. The big-room gusto sets Krogh apart, but the record is pure Aniara.
TracklistA1 Manfas
A2 Altavista
B1 Mork Miljo