Jori Hulkkonen

The fourth album from the Finnish producer sees him turning out another selection of deep house from the top drawer for Laurent Garnier's esteemed imprint. Less funk-orientated than his previous work, Hulkkonen turns to the '80s for his influences, replacing the hip-swinging breakbeats of When No One Is Watching We Are Invisible with robotic drum-machine percussives, with these no-nonsense grooves elaborated upon through detailed synth work and bubbling low-end theory. The vocal pieces find the album at its strongest; Nick Triani's contribution to "All I See Is Shadows" amounts to a blistering slice of Detroit instrumentation and Chicago vocal aspirations, while a collaboration with longtime spa Tuomas Salmela closes the album, doffing its cap to "Sueno Latino" with its mix of easy Italio house piano and clattering, balaeric backbeat. ~ Kingsley Marshall, All Music Guide