12"

genre: DEEPHOUSE

label: SCISSOR AND THREAD cat.no: sat065

label: New Jersey-born Ali Berger is a drum machine specialist and understated champion of US electronic music, now based in Pittsburgh after spending the 2010s in Boston and Detroit. His catalogue of original music is vast, with over 60 releases on his own Trackland imprint and EPs for labels like Spectral Sound and Sequencias, all the product of a lovingly cultivated studio approach that respects improvisation as a spiritual practice. With this sublime outing on Scissors and Thread, Ali shares a multitude of sounds and moods across the five tracks. As Ali himself puts it: "This record collects tracks from the past three years, plus 0221 (Serious Mix) from 2018. A wide range of production techniques are represented, from one-take jams to multi-track compositions, but throughout it all there is a persistent deep melancholy which is (hopefully) mitigated by enough groove to be uplifting. Maintaining emotional balance takes constant, thoughtful attention; music is part of that process for me, and these tracks reflect that."
This balance of melancholic moods and groove is evident across the record: Rhythm & Simplicity is a sober, reflective track for discerning dancefloors, whilst A New World To Forget also displays a deep love for cultured house music and analogue drum machines. TapeJam Pt 2 is the perfect blend of improvisation and pure groove, roughly sculpted and gritty. 0221 (Serious Mix) blends a breakbeat with pads and synths that ooze a Balearic sunrise atmosphere, whilst MotionAnthem rounds off the EP with a harder groove paired with melancholic melodies and oceans of feeling.