CHANTOLA – LOST IN FUNNY SPACE GAMES (BONZAI PROGRESSIVE)

Henrik has been busy in the study polishing up his third studio album ‘Lost In Funny Space Games’. 2013 had seen Henrik release top quality tracks with a few collaborations thrown in with many top remixers also making appearances on his releases. No doubt we will be seeing a lot more from this guy so stay tuned in 2014.

First up we have a pure, full on club groover in the shape of the wonderful ‘Come With Me’. Everything you’d expect from a piano driven house classic is on offer with the Chantola master touch applied. Strong kicks with a rhythmic percussion section and a groovy bassline all support a stunning piano sequence, and to top it all off we get a fantastic diva-esque vocal, awesome stuff not to be missed.

Next up is ‘Deep Inside’, here the sound tends to lean in the funky direction as the bassline and groovy pimptastic guitar will testify. Deep vibes abound as the house chords weave their magic alongside a sultry female vocal. Superb stuff from Henrik yet again, top notch!

‘I Want You’ is a well balanced house groove with its thumpy kicks and crispy percussions giving good rhythm. A very cool bass rips through the track and is further enhanced with some very nifty synth work, the house vibes are ramped up to funky proportions with a great and catchy vocal sample which is coupled with real smooth guitar licks. One hell of a floorfiller on offer and one to watch for sure.

‘It’s Not What You Say’ intros with a beefy kick and some well clipped hats giving that classic house flavour. Stunning vocals come through and are the perfect companion for a mesmerizing synth pad lurking in the background. The track transforms itself throughout, building the layers beautifully and ending up with fine slice of progressive house. Definitely not to be missed this one, get it into those playlists quick!

The title track ‘Lost In Funny Space Games’ is Henrik’s next offering. Smooth subtle kicks and hats sit with some cool FX over the top on the intro. As you can imagine we get an electro inspired flavour in the track, possibly due to the connection with games. What we also get is a very cool acid line that runs throughout the track and is accompanied by some very nifty drum patterns. Quirky little track that will stand up well in any set.

‘Release’ sets off with a thumping kick and a panning synth on the intro, cool reverbed snares make their way through also as the layers build smoothly. A wonderfully inconspicuous bassline has a dramatic effect on the sound as a suave female vocal delivers the goods. Some nice synth chords add a groovy flavour sets the track off beautifully. Great stuff!

Next up we have ‘Sunday Jammin’ which takes the tempo down and turns the funk up. Groovy guitar licks dominate the sound as a funky bassline delivers a cool flowing rhythm along with smooth drum patterns. On the break those funky licks dominate and are matched perfectly to some cool synth notes. In the background a brilliant melodic pad sweeps by, simply amazing yet again from Henrik.

‘Sunrise’ ramps up the pressure as a rolling bassline gets the track flowing right from the off into a full on progressive groove. The level of the kicks and percussions are perfectly matched so the bassline can shine on this, we also get a fantastic vocal that really beefs up the overall sound on the track, brilliant stuff.

The penultimate track ‘The Coolest’ keeps us in the progressive realm with a superb bassline that bounces along effortlessly beside some very cool FX and synth work. Strong and steady rhythms come through as the drum arrangement etches its patterns flawlessly and all the while a great little vocal sample rattles off ‘that was the coolest’, in the background.

Lastly but by no means least we have ‘They Always Come Back For More’. The intro boasts some top notch synth chord work which is complimented by a nice chunky kick and crispy hat combo. Much warmer chords come through as a vocal edges into the sound. The bassline is a main player here as it drives the track forward with fantastic results, top quality as always.

A truly fantastic album from Henrik with many inspiring and diverse sounds within the tracks.