Review on 4Clubbers
by
House Music All Night Long!
It’s a well-worn adage that nice guys finish last. Thankfully, this isn’t always the case, and Tim Belcher is one to buck the trend. As a DJ and producer - Timo Garcia may ring more than a few bells - he’s taken in periods in Paris, Leeds, and now London, where he’s firmly rooted at the top of Brick Lane. But his spirit, like his record bag, is a restless thing, and its this facet of life that’s born his first artist album - Wonderlust Bug. Released on his own label, Berwick Street Records (home to some of the capital’s best house over its four year existence), it’s the culmination of his experiences on the beaches of Ibiza to the bustle of Brazil and the rawness of Eastern Europe.
Opener Boom, landing in solid house territory, stabs wafting over a 90s esque bassline, is pure Timo - elements of his past given a modern makeover - leading to Hang Drum, which leaps out as an early highlight. Made with Manu Delgado’s Latin talents, it’s a haunting affair, the unique sound of the drum floating effortlessly over the kicks. Lady Luck is squelchy, moody tech-house, while Magic Roundabout’s a ten-minute slow-burner built around layers of analogue synths, and Wonderlust is a beautifully-constructed cut of modern electronic house, slowly-rasping synths gathering momentum to a punchy drop.
With every track showing another facet to Timo’s musical character, it’s like turning through each chapter of a travelogue, where only music exists and the pages are blank, leaving the melodies to weave their path across the globe through his many influences. The Bug is unashamedly peak-time, growling synths and snappy snares, while Swing Thing occupies far more abstract territory, heavy in reverb and delay as the percussion washes through into a modern jazz-house workout. The album closes with the sublime vocals of Amber Jolene on The Morning After, a shimmering vision of Ibecinco sunset chilled house. It’s the sound of a man very much comfortable in his own skin and clearly enjoying his time in the studio, and long may it continue.
