Estroe - Elemental Assets

ESTROE - ELEMENTAL ASSETS

(Connaisseur)

Some great albums demand your attention from the get-go; others require some time and attention before you grasp just how good they are.  The latest album from Estroe, a pseudonym for Dutch producer Esther Roozendaal, falls squarely into the latter category.     The reason is simple: on the surface, ‘Elemental Assets’ appears to be an unassuming, pleasant collection of deep house and Detroit techno tracks.  Once vibrant and innovative, in recent years artists working within these sub-genres have been shackled by a staid obeisance to convention.  While there is nothing spectacular to distinguish ‘Elemental Assets’ from the pack, a closer listen reveals subtle changes to the script: constant motion, a keen ear for melody and a broader emotional range than one normally finds in electronic dance music.  The result is a far better tribute to Larry Heard or Carl Craig than one gets from the purists.   

One of the most brilliant things about ‘Elemental Assets’ is its pacing.  No track sounds quite like its processor, yet the whole thing somehow fits together.  This is particularly true of the album’s first half, which feels almost like a cohesive narrative.  The gorgeous synths of “Intro” give way into the midnight jazz of “Late Night Thinking.”  This, in turn, slips into the playful, Metroplex-like synth melodies of “Passionate Timidity.” The sequence ends with the brilliant “Does it Ring a Bell,” which is perhaps the high point of the entire album.  Here Roozendaal channels Rhythm is Rhythm and Boards of Canada, brought together in a bittersweet chain of interlocking melodies, set over a nicely syncopated broken beat. 

The second half of the album lacks the flow of the first, yet still provides a number of memorable moments.  “My Challenge” is solid Detroit techno.  “Flirtatious Concubine” demonstrates the creative potential of deep house, trading in generic jazz chords for free-flowing swing and a casually exuberant electric piano melody that seems to dance on the keys.  The silky vocals and sustained pads of “High Maintenance” may be a turn-off for some—deep house clichés more than conventions.  But the result is blissful, a brilliant slice of after-hours longing.  The decidedly old school “Updraft” and “Driven,” which sound as if they’d fit on a 90s release from Definitive, manage to be both nostalgic and fresh, familiar and surprising at the same time.  Album closer “Margje Hendrika” is smart, lush IDM, a nice finish to a very strong collection of songs.   

While ‘Elemental Assets’ lacks an overarching concept, or even a common set of sounds, it is remarkably cohesive and, thus, quite listenable as an album.  Conversely, any given song stands on its own, and most would fit nicely in a DJ’s arsenal.  It’s unfortunate that ‘Elemental Assets’ was released in late 2009, because it would undoubtedly make its way onto my best-of list for 2010.   

Gustav Brown