Legowelt - The Rise and Fall of Manuel Noriega

LEGOWELT - THE RISE AND FALL OF MANUEL NORIEGA (Strange Life)

Switching from anthropological mysteries to Panamian dictators, Danny Wolfers, who has been hard at work recently with aliases such as Smackos and Franz Falckenhaus comes up with another soundtrack fest on his own Strange Life label, this time providing a brooding cinematic score to a story about the infamous Latin American general who now resides in a Miami prison, having spent time as an agent for the CIA during his brutal rise to the top in the 70’s and 80’s.

Like his other most distinct work “Night of the Illuminati”, Wolfers is at his best with sinister analogue synth sounds, this time mainly eschewing the dancefloor for low key interludes that are populated with some moments of geniune brilliance. His skill is to use his imagination in track titles to colour the music appropriately - witness “In the Shadow of The Mossad”, a sleek and dark electro track that transforms into something grander with the title. The influence, as ever, of John Carpenter looms large on Wolfers, especially with the haunting “Rain Season” but in amongst the movie-orientated shades of foreboding, he still manages to provide the sort of deranged psyche-disco that in my mind makes him so singular. “Lunar Maximus” in particular is an anthemic stomper that matches his best output.

“The Rise and Fall…” is another essential release, further expanding a remarkable back catalogue of one of Europe’s best producers. 

Toby Frith

Legowelt website