This album by Dutch techno producer
Pitto features a variety of female vocalists, all of whom work in more or less the same territory: a gentle croon with just a bit of edge, somewhere in the neighborhood of
Esthero,
Roisin Murphy's
Moloko-era work,
Lamb, etc., etc. The music that backs their breathy musings is a kind of combination of house and minimal techno, not unlike what you might hear on a Kompakt label release. It's all very smooth and extremely enjoyable in a low-impact sort of way; it's not going to inspire anyone to throw their hands in the air and cavort wildly, but it will make heads nod and feet tap. The tracks are clearly the work of one person with a singular (if not unique) aesthetic, but they also have just enough difference between them (the almost live-sounding drums and the violin on "Happy Now" make it a particular standout, and "Walking by the Sea," on which
Pitto himself handles vocals, almost sounds like a house remix of a post-punk pop song) to make the album work as a cohesive statement as well as a collection of excellent songs. ~ Phil Freeman