Midnight House

Album Review

Maurizio Belladonna (simply called Belladonna) has been comparatively unknown among fans of electronica, but that should change after the release of his second album Midnight House. After a long stint as a DJ, Belladonna headed to the studio to produce, and the result was his first album Housin' Paradise, released in 1999. Housin' Paradise went virtually unnoticed in the United States, but with his second album Belladonna shows that he fully intends to persevere. On Midnight House Belladonna successfully explores all avenues of electronic dance music, from acid jazz-sounding house to breakbeats with Latin overtones. Although Belladonna gets a bit too heavy on the keyboard at times, Midnight House has a high-quality and clear production, and presents a confident, smooth mix of a wide array of musical genres. The album is a happy medium between the underground soulful house of Kevin Yost and the more commercial sound of Alex Gopher or Basement Jaxx.