When Booka Shade released their DJ-Kicks mix in 2007, they were just two years out from their singles “Mandarine Girl” and “Body Language,” songs that defined an entire era in European dance music. Minimal was still in full swing, yet Booka Shade’s set confidently looked toward new horizons without abandoning the streamlined sounds that made that scene so exciting. While cuts like Lopazz’s “2 Fast 4 U,” Quarion’s “Play Your Part,” and Booka Shade’s own “Estoril” provide the set’s sleek through line, they bring unexpected colors into the picture by way of John Carpenter’s ’80s soundtracks and Brigitte Bardot’s ’60s yé-yé. The collision of Aphex Twin’s “Alberto Balsalm” with a 1981 experiment from ex-Human Leaguers Heaven 17 makes for a provocative collision of eras, while the closing stretch of techno and ambient provides a gentle comedown that’s easy like Sunday morning.
- Maya Jane Coles