The greatest attribute that Parov Stelar obviously has, is the ability to truly correspond with the music listener. As if asking the right amount of questions of someone who listens attentively! Enough that they don't get bored or uninterested and ultimately dissatisfied, and not too many of the listener as if the act of hearing music is some sort of university challenge that produces exhaustion! It's the success that has paved the way for Pavor Stelar to be Austria's greatest new export in the last two years. And so the story continues with the second album release from Parov Stelar. Seven and storm asks a few more questions this time, but we know that ostentatious behaviour and boastful self indulgence are far from the questions asked. Musical correspondence is still the total objective for Parov Stelar. 'Simple' and 'interesting' are the two words that come to mind when listening to the new album. Somehow you sense the two words should not be compatible but somehow Parov Stelar makes them so. There is a wonderful minimal feel to Seven and storm, as if Parov is stripped bare and exposed. There seems to be a sequence of musical drawings telling a story in all the tracks. Emotion runs high, tense, fragile, heartwarming, heartbreaking sometimes. As with 'Rough Cuts' the previous Parov Stelar album, Seven and storm seems to just be a perfect accompaniment to being a westernized young adult. Guest appearances from Phoebe Hall, Billy Kern, Odette Di Maio, Miss Anita Riegler and Leena Conquest add beautifully to the atmospheric smokey jazzy feel of Seven and storm. Their presence is wonderfully acted out. Another amazing belonging and security to Parov Stelar is the use of samples. We are sure no one right now is using samples in such a sophisticated and mesmerizing way. Sampling is a art form and Parov Stelar is a master of this principal activity.
It's time to admit it. We can't hold this man in a simple definition as "nu-jazz", Parov Stelar became a genre of his own. "Rough Cuts" was the record that showed us how far can go the anarchic freedom of a dj. "Seven & Storm" is the fascinating trip that leads to the "place" discovered by the dj.
Listenin' to Anita Riegler's voice is like comin' back home and the featuring by italian [proud of it ;-) ] Odette di Maio in songs like "Faith" [one of the most "evocative" tracks of the album] opens new ways to understand Stelar's moods. "Powder" testify how just a single singed word can contain a whole world of passion and thoughts.
But the real show is when we meet again that amazing use of cuts & samples like in "If I Had You". Parov's sampling style became a sort of trademark, just as we know by the first note if Santana is playin' his guitar, we recognized our man from Vienna by one of his smart cuts and scratched voices: The hardest target to achieve.
Create somethin' new seems often impossible, but "Seven & Storm" remember us that there's somethin' more important than that...the creative process itself that can produce jewels like this record.
Parov Stelar is releasing his new album this month one year after his deput one. His second long player step is like what other artists may can do in their seventh album. He cooked all the good elements of the first one and just added some new different tastes as a result of his polymorphic searching and exploring in downtempo jazz style. The album is a smoked cocktail of ...
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meine lieben vergessts mir nicht auf die wurzeln! als kleiner tipp- paul hardcastle the jazzmasters 3- keep moving on-so long. das zum thema neues genre.
Just for the fun to go against the flow: some negative critics about this album.
First of all, I think it is a pity that he only includes one jazzy-house track on this album, as a bonus track. It is a pity, because this is what he is best at. I understand his strategy: dance on vinyl, downtempo on cd, and that is ok for me, but I donīt think people that do not own turntables apreciate this.
Parov Stelar proved with various releases that he is a great producer. But I was a little bit dissapointed with this release, because it sounds exactly the same as his first album. Same concept, same style,...I had expected something more surprising than this.
But then again, my expectations were extremely high. If I hadnīt heard anything of Parov before, I would cry out loud: Great album!!!!!
This is Parov Stelar's second album and it's another jewel! The sound is almost the same, it's the trademark Parov Stelar sound, only this time he changed the balance of elements a bit. The album feels more raw and bare then Rough Cuts... and contrary to what some might think, this is a good move because the album sounds excellent. The only thing I'm wondering is what he has in the works now, I guess we'll have to wait and see.