Experiment

Album Review

Having left his imprimatur all over the French club scene, Cedric Gervais emigrated to Miami in 2003 and took that city by storm too. The year before his debut single "Burning" slammed into the U.S. chart, more impressive productions and remixes followed, culminating in Experiment, the DJ's debut album. Point of entry for most listeners will be the hit "Spirit in My Life," which is representative of Gervais' fabulous, driving, bubbling, hard house style. The fat, funky title track, however, filled with space-age effects and vocal samples, is a prime example of his other side. The cataclysmic "Sky" brings the two styles together, its storming bass line pure funk, the slamming beats unadulterated hard house, and the melody as bright and infectious as a sunny day. There's just a touch of new wave to the synths, another tack Gervais loves to take, with that '80s sound crescendoing across "Half Way Love," featuring Second Sun, which beautifully evokes mid-era Depeche Mode. The sensational Sun appears on two more tracks, including the tongue-in-cheek "Pills" that slyly slips between new wave and harder rhythms that at times push towards industrial. "Touch" is its polar opposite, a lavish piece with tribal-lite beats, a rich, lush melody, plenty of atmosphere, and counterintuitive vocals that occasionally slide toward arena rock. Brilliant. But then, so much of this album is. There's plenty of flamboyant hard house to get the party moving, like "Fire," which includes another fabulous performance from Caroline, as well as the dizzying, funk-laden "Bang." If there was any doubt that Gervais was ready for the big time, this album puts them to bed for good. A star is born, but one who recognizes the work of all who came before him, and Gervais thanks them all on "Respect."