- There's not much to report about Berlin's nascent Neptune label or Algorythm, the artist behind its first record. Some release information and Googling reveals a couple of reference points: the label's logo draws on the environmental beach certification Blue Flag, and the Santos Express, of the record's title, is a South African train-turned-hotel. Neptune's logo also includes what looks like a setting sun and waves set within the dimensions of a postage stamp. So we appear to have a missive from a Berliner's southern hemisphere travels. If the music is any indication, it was a very pleasant trip.
The tracks are unassuming and understated. The title cut is a plaintive house tune whose toms and sharp snare provide a slight electro edge. Discordant chords, synth swells and distant bells achieve an odd consonance. "Omar's Deli" is the pick, and its place at the end of the record exemplifies the measured approach taken with these productions. Echo and reverb are prevalent but confined to higher frequencies, allowing the syncopated bassline to bounce in a spacious and varied template. The record's sole vocal sample shows up here—two syllables, sometimes answered by a third, that limn a simple melodic flourish. "LFO" and "Bird Cage" take a similar approach, but their focus on general agreeability offers less to grab onto. But so goes the difficulty in travel documentation: the wayfarer's experience scarcely resonates when it accounts for pleasure alone.
TracklistA1 Santos Express
A2 LFO
B1 Bird Cage
B2 Omar's Deli