(Tech House, Techno) Traumer - Takt (Herzblut Recordings [807297553611]) WEB - 2014, FLAC (tracks), lossless

Budding young producer Traumer will release the 'Takt' L.P via Bremen's Herzblut imprint this April, comprising ten original tracks from the Avignon, France born artist. Romain Reynaud aka Traumer has been enthusiastically developing as a producer in Paris since leaving his hometown of Avignon several years ago. Following the relocation Traumer's production skills caught the attention of the IRM Records crew in the capital, as well as the Electric Rescue organization for whom Romain DJ's regularly at the Skyptrom parties in the city. Reynaud's style meanders through a variety of styles, oscillating through melodious, jazz-tinged deep cuts and dropped tempo, disco-tinged records - through to raw and gritty workouts geared towards the early hours of the dance-floor. Traumer's 'Takt' L.P lays its focus firmly on gritty electronic sounds, raw rhythms and elements of Jazz, Soul and Disco. Opener 'Louve' kicks off proceedings brilliantly with its ambient soundscapes and tension building low-end, followed by the bumpy up-tempo feel of 'Cyclo' with its hooky, ever-evolving feel and the cavernous atmospheric vibe found in heady cut, 'Dayzero'. Reynaud displays his more melodic side through the house-laden 'Azure', which tips the focus towards an infectious piano hook, jazzy guitar licks, elongated bass tones and organic sax hooks. 'Maa'asalama', as the Arabic name would suggest, welcomes ethnic instruments in droves, intricately programmed to create a stunning and undeniably unique composition, further showcasing Romain's ability to produce a variety of styles. 'Takt' and 'Marion' see Traumer revert back to jazz aesthetics. The two records clock in at 14 and 22 minutes long, and see the French producer's complex melodies subtly unfold over their durations, playing on blossoming piano lines, pizzicato strings and earth shattering sub-bass lines to great effect. Traumer instills some dance floor intensity into the L.P too through tracks like 'Flume' with its swinging drums, eerie chords and spoken word vocal lines. The dubbed out 'Quantum' which embraces a stab-driven structure, fuelled by refined echoes with a sinuous blooming dynamic, and the psychedelic closing piece 'Fulguration', which concentrates on trippy, unfolding arp-style synth hooks, chuggy bass and loose drum patterns. In conclusion Traumer offers up an intelligent body of work here through 'Takt', with a coherent theme running across the L.P. This budding young producer is certainly worthy of your attention right now and for the foreseeable future.