It's probably fair to say that Hungary is better
known as the home of goulash, Franz Liszt and the
Rubik's Cube than for its dance music scene. And
after listening to Gelka's debut album, you could
be forgiven for assuming the creators hail from the
Balearics rather than Budapest, so effortlessly
does the music here epitomise the kind of pleasant
but bland fare served up by endless Ibiza-themed
chill-out compilations over the last 15 years.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gelka (named after
Hungary's erstwhile state-owned electronics repair
service, in case you were interested) first
surfaced five years ago on a CafΘ Del Mar album and
it's not hard to see why the duo has appeared
regularly in the series since. Lazy beats,
languorous Groove Armada's At The River û style
horns and relaxed, ever-so-slightly funky guitars
dominate here, with the occasional mildly soulful
vocal thrown in for good measure, mostly courtesy
of Ghanaian-born chanteuse Sena.
The not exactly typically Magyar-named Alex and
Sergio of Gelka are now signed to Nightmares On
Wax's DJ Ease's Wax On label, but there's very
little of the Yorkshire band's eclectic
experimentation in evidence on Less Is More. Most
tracks just meander along quite pleasantly; the odd
sliver of gentle melody here, the occasional toe-
tapping rhythm there, with respectful nods to
Kruder and Dorfmeister and Air's Moon Safari
flitting in and out of the! mix.
Gelka's few attempts to branch out from their tried
and tested sound are decidedly mixed. Burlesk's
skewed, stoned oompah band vibe brings some welcome
quirkiness and individuality, but final number Tea
Kettle's Dream is a baffling 21st century reworking
of Pink Floyd's thankfully largely forgotten 1970
curiosity Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, closing
proceedings with a pointless and unfunny collage of
snoring and kitchen appliance noises. What went
before was hardly groundbreaking either, but fans
of the now rather tired chill-out genre may find
Less Is More is more or less the kind of soporific
fix they are looking for.
Tracklist:
01. So Many Ways
02. Rasta Baby
03. Blame
04. Burlesk
05. Callin'
06. Find the Peace
07. When You Gotta Go You Gotta Go
08. Soon
09. Eau Rouge Pt.1
10. Eau Rouge Pt.2
11. Angry Eyes
12. Hungarian Voodoo
13. The Last Tree
14. Flow Motion
15. Tea Kettle's Dream
Gelka-Less_is_More-(WAXCD003)-2008-JUST
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