Album Review

Daniel Haaksman – Rambazamba

• 3rd May 2011

Taking a journey to Brazil via Germany may seem to be a rather odd option, but is a pretty basic way of laying out Rambazamba’s premise.

Berlin based DJ and label boss Daniel Haaksman’s debut album is a lively and rhythmic party piece that channels the inherent beats that have been shaking Rio’s carnivals and favelas, effortlessly eschewing any preconceptions of Berlin’s firm placing of minimal techno and electronica.

What we have here is a long player full of the vibe and energy that harnesses the driven Baile Funk championed by the likes of M.I.A producer Diplo, in fact it was Haaksman’s own imprint that gave the wider world their first taste of the Major Lazer maverick.  It is no surprise then that this album should appeal most to those fixated with the likes of the Bonde Do Role, Buraka Som Sistema and the aforementioned M.I.A and Diplo.

The pounding, pulsating drums and upbeat percussion are all presented with minute tweaking to add a hint of electro and nuances of dance-based production, ensuring that the cultural sounds of Baile Funk, Kudora and Soca remain true to their roots while also palatable to those club-goers and bloggers that have seen these rich ethnic styles go global.

I would prescribe that the best way to experience Rambazamba is in the sunshine, bathing in the rays and soaking up the musical vibrance that screams out for summer playlisting but it is not without one lamentable flaw.

Haaksman’s position as a DJ is perhaps glaringly obvious from the structure of the 16 track long CD. With little scope given for any change of pace, it is soon in full swing and as few tracks feature a strong vocal presence to latch on to, it is possible for the mainly instrumental beats to become slightly repetitive, giving it less of the feeling that this is actual artist album that requires listening from start to finish, and more like a compilation of dancefloor threatening DJ ammunition, any of which would fit perfectly into sets by the likes of Diplo or DJ Yoda, with productions purely aimed for rump shaking and ripe for peppering with a hip-hop accapella.

But then why should DJs get all the fun?

So throw it on at BBQs to raise the tempo as a summer evening heats up, distract yourself with some Baile Funk as background music for any outdoor activity from gardening to sunbathing and expect to be shaking your tail-feather to a Daniel Haaksman production in forward thinking clubs across the world.