2010 was the year that Marco Niemerski, better known as Tensnake, emerged from the fringes of the nu-disco/ house music scene and became one of the most talked about acts in dance music. Although Tensnake had been building a solid reputation among afficiados of dusty disco and off kilter dance with tracks like ‘In the End (I Want To Cry)’, it was ‘Coma Cat’ that was the tipping point that took him to a wider audience.
Released in January on the relativley obscure Berlin label Permanent Vacation, ‘Coma Cat’ gained swathes of club play thanks to it’s infectious summery vibes and stick-in-your-head ’80′s style melody. Taking it’s cues from an obscure Anthony & The Camp boogie record, ‘Coma Cat’ helped catalyse a shift in many quarters to more musical less hypnotic dance sounds over the course of the year. In the summer Tensnake was picked up by Defected records, a move which helped propell him to chart success in the UK and also made him one of the most sought after names on the European festival circuit.
Still sounding great almost a year after its release, ‘Coma Cat’ is likely to remain an instant floorfiller for years to come.
Azari & III have been an act to keep an eye on for about a year now. Their sound doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but instead channels one of the golden periods of electronic music – late 80’s Detroit and Chicago House. Referencing the likes of Ten City, Inner City, Derrick May and Mr Fingers; Azari & III’s music has been wetting the taste buds of dance aficionados and indie mainstays Pitchfork, who ranked their recent single ‘Reckless With Your Love’ in their ‘Best New Music’ category.
Azari & III’s forthcoming album could cement their status on an even wider platform. Soon to be released on Tiga’s always reliable Turbo label, the record promises to bring back the glory days of acid house to the mainstream. The first taste of the album, ‘Indigo’, sounds like a lost Trax record but with the added digital grunt of a modern studio. After a quality collaboration with London disco hipsters Friendly Fires (see above), Azari & III could well be on course to revitalise dancefloors with their referentially ass shaking sound.
If you’re a fan of Tensnake’s already inescapable ‘Coma Cat’, these guys are well worth looking out for.
Today’s Tag Of The Day belongs to Hamburg’s Tensnake’s. Opening with an ecstatic wail – evoking A Guy Called Gerald’s timeless classic ‘Voodoo Ray’ – and a provocative bassline, ‘Coma Cat’ quickly draws you in with its charms. However, the dark disco vibe rapidly evolves when the bassline gives way to a euphoric synth break down bringing the track into unabashed joy-filled house territory.
The simple repeated vocal hook of “can I get, can I get get” is guaranteed to invade your head and has become the standout moment in Tensnake’s many sets over the summer. The German producer/DJ will be playing a number of dates from the tail end of summer up to December, where he’ll be performing at Manchester’s Warehouse Project. For a full list of dates check his MySpace.
For those looking to get more Tensnake action, check out his ‘Remix Selection’ mix below which fatures reworks of Azari & III, The Faint and Foals to name a few.
