Gospel by Johannes Heil
A mixed bag from the veteran producer
With a handful of tracks littering my library (Aquarius, Paranoid Dancer, The World etc.) the music of German producer Johannes Heil is not completely new to me but the absence of albums (none before Gospel) meant I was listening to an old dog with fresh ears. In my research, I gleaned various reviews of past releases, like Loving and Freaks R Us and the general consensus was:
[this album]... feels like a collection of 12"s rather than an album
Having invested ten listens in Gospel I can draw the same conclusion. Clocking in at a massive 1 hour and 42 minutes it's essentially a collection of tracks better suited for DJs rather than home listening. Yet, with some careful pruning, there's a deft and effective album keen to emerge. Beatless opener Gospel One sets the scene nicely, while album highlight Gospel Fifteen closes things on a high. Inbetween can be heard many familiar Techno tropes, from beats and vocal snippets (Gospel Eight and Gospel Ten) to Ambient (Gospel One) to Dub (Gospel Seven) to straightforward floorfillers (i.e. mostly everything else); the two collaborations with Markus Suckut (Eleven and Twelve) are actually pretty effective in this regard. When Heil plays with melody and emotion he excels (Gospel Two and Gospel Thirteen).
Out now on Andre Kronert's Odd Even label.