ARTIST: A GUY CALLED GERALD

TITLE: TRONIC JAZZ THE BERLIN SESSIONS
LABEL: LABORATORY INSTINCT

Words: Niall Coughlan

Someone who’s been around long enough to have a genuine claim as one of the originators of UK dance music, Gerald Simpsons latest album shows the new school how it’s done.  Techy and acidic from the outset Simpsons current base of Berlin shows its influence as much as the legacies of Detroit, Chicago and Manchester.  All of which mash together with masterfully complex rhythms playing off bleepy stabs, analogue synths and growling basslines to create a timeless yet futuristic album no self-respecting house or techno head should be without.  There’s even a cheeky nod to his involvement with 808 State on ‘Pacific Samba’ before the swung-out loopiness of ‘Merfed’ closes the album with a hint of flavours yet to come.
5/5