El_Txef_A – ‘We Walked Home Together’

You can’t deny a certain movement in electronic dance music that likes to include more soul, feeling and musicality into its recipe. Less BPM and more substance. A strange but effective counter movement to the ever euphoric American EDM-movement. Spanish producer Aitor Etxebarria and his alter ego EL_TXEF_A are experts on this territory. In the past years his acclaimed tracks and reworks gained him more and more attention. And 2012’s debut album Slow Dancing In A Burning Room was an acclaimed way of combining grooving beats with a gentle musical environment. The follow-up We Walked Home Together takes the idea one step further.

One thing becomes clear on the record: Etxebarria is not standing still and he’s certainly not interested in sticking to just one genre. We Walked Home Together takes the idea of EL_TXEF_A even further away from the dancefloor. It’s a brave and ambitious combination of slow grooving beats, down tempo, ambient-like electronic landscapes and other experiments. But just like on Slow Dancing In A Burning Room, Etxebarria managed to create a homogeneous record that is more driven by its coherent feeling than specific hits. It’s an atmosphere of melancholia and longing, that goes hand in hand with certain introspection.

One of the key factors of this construct remains the gentle piano play of the producer. Opener A Heart For Two is relaxing entrance into the world of EL_TXEF_A. The following title-track puts the piano on top of a smooth beat and combines everything with tender and almost Thom Yorke-like vocals. There’s a lot to discover on We Walked Home Together. BOARDS OF CANADA-like ambient structures (0730), bubbling electronica with cryptic spoken word messages (Every Day Is Blue Monday, a collaboration with MEGGY from Berlin-based label SUOL) and tender guitar play (You Left Us In The Physical World). A dancefloor-focussed groove comes into play from time to time but mostly remains subtle. The hypnotic Chaim Of Planet Earth marks a well-placed exception here, reminding a bit of THE FIELD.

But overall, the combination of the gentle piano and the well chosen guest vocalists are the heart and soul of this record. Mugarrirantz ends the album with the distinctive and heart-melting vocals of NAPOKA IRIA, leaving the listener metaphorically with his head into the clouds. Yes, by then EL_TXEF_A already left the dancefloor a while ago. There’s something that drives his music further away into new territories. And not many musicians are willing to take that risk. Highly recommendable for everybody who likes it diversified.

‘We Walked Home Together’ is an interesting album for those who enjoy diversified electronic music. EL_TXEF_A combines slow grooving beats with experimental synthetic adventures.

NBHAP Rating: 3,5/5

—

EL_TXEF_A