Traverse

Undoubtedly one of his country’s foremost electronic music artists, Pablo Bolivar is a man whose name will be familiar to most with an interest in discerning electronic music. A fierce proponent of quality-driven house, techno and everything in between, Bolivar’s much-respected works have led him to respected outlets such as Culprit, Moodmusic and Curle. However, it’s Bolivar’s work at his own Seven Villas label for which he is best known. A vehicle for music that Pablo describes as fitting his definition of “Musica Para Estar”, the label has been on a stunning run of form of late, epitomised by Bolivar’s last release, the Traverse (Reprise), a collaboration with Joerg Schuster aka Sensual Physics, a German producer whose aesthetic expertly fits in with Seven Villas’. ‘Traverse (Reprise)’ features 8 tracks reprised by Pablo to create new versions for a longer listen, the release offers a fascinating insight into the mind of a producer for whom experimentation is always key.

Although he mostly keeps the spine of each track intact, this project enables Bolivar to add an escapist, dubby and ambient spirit to each track, often adding a soft, deep and sophisticated club aura as he goes. Tasteful and subtle, the release can be viewed as a sequel, albeit one that pays homage to its predecessor in stunning and fitting fashion. Featuring a natural flow that meanders occasionally but still keeps the listener’s attention firmly intact, tracks such as ‘Mondragon’, ‘Malaga’ and ‘Miracle’ take on a new life of their own here, whereas the likes of ‘My Sense’ and ‘Lisbon’ also showcase Bolivar’s for the conceptual. A thought-provoking piece of work that conjures up warm feelings throughout, this ‘reprise’ version of ‘Traverse’ is a joyous listen from start to finish.