

This isn’t a criticism: M.A.N.D.Y’s approach to the concept of the lifestyle mix is to toy with it, to recast the dark minimalism of Ricardo Villalobos’s ‘Ichso’ and SCSI-9’s ‘Señorita Tristeza’ as polished, suave loungecore, to have fun with acres of piano-dappled, cheesy-listening basslines and witty segues. Cheesy listening maybe, but we’re in mature dolcelatte territory: though the touch is candyfloss-light, the track selection is unimpeachably heavyweight. Jona’s ‘Smart Cats vs Dumb Dogs’, Dinky’s ‘Michelle’, their own remix of Rockers Hi Fi’s ‘Push Push’ and My My’s ‘Clean Break’ are highlights, all skimmed over in a way which extracts the maximum thrill without laying it on too thick.
The emotional climax of the mix sneaks up on you: Trentemøller’s remix of Djuma Soundsystem’s ‘Les Djinns’ is astonishing, texturally and melodically sumptuous and utterly all-encompassing. And then a pause, and a hidden track, and a neat shot of soul in Henrik Schwarz’s take on Coldcut’s ‘Walk A Mile In My Shoes’, and it’s all clear: M.A.N.D.Y’s mastery is in locating the beating heart within the superficially gorgeous sheen of lifestyle gloss.
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Published /
Mon / 23 Oct 2006 -
Words /
Alex Macpherson
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