REVIEW: Isolée - Resort Island [Resort Island]

Isolée stands out as one of those rare artists who never fails to stir a little extra excitement in me with every new release, especially if it's a longplayer. "Well spent youth" and "We are monster" are two of my most treasured electronic albums, and the latter's release in 2011 makes the arrival of Rajko Müller's latest masterpiece, "Resort Island," even more special. While Isolée is often credited as the creator of the micro-house genre, it would be a mistake to confine his sound within that label. In fact, his music is a polychromatic fusion of styles, with a signature sound that is unmistakably his own. There's only one Isolée.

What captivates me about "Resort Island" is its evocation of the destination it's named after, brimming with colourful ambivalence like a Wes Anderson movie.  It's a place where people go to escape the monotony of everyday life, where the lonely and the families converge, and where we unwind on flamboyant beach towels and sip pina coladas while admiring the kitschy decor, all while eyeing the sad buffet.

photo by Jan Reiser

Yet, it's a place of joy, melancholy, and grooves, too. We need such places.  "Resort Island" exudes a sense of freedom and lightheartedness that's both unbridled and genuine - and to be clear on that - never cheesy. The journey begins with "Coco's Visa," which sets the tone with light rhythms and a handpan's tropical vibe, inviting us to relax and let go. "Canada Balsam" adds playful irony to the mix, as if the "Dirty Dancing" resort manager were grooving on a pill at Robert Johnson while the sun rises. I can almost see it in my mind's eye.  Fittingly arranged, "Pardon My French" is a late-night house banger, sliding through the funk realm like a banana boat on the water, making me tap my toes as I write. But as the record progresses, it leads us to the more melancholic side of things.

The gloominess is most evident in "Let's Dance," where public voices morph into beautifully shimmering chords, tinkling like wind chimes that dance across the night sky, accompanied by quirky noises that build a slow, steady, and melancholic structure. It's a dance track without a beat, placed in the middle of the album, a thoughtful arrangement that further exemplifies the record's beautiful ambivalence. As we move on to "Modernation", we still find melancholic motifs, but now with a bouncy beat and a whole lot of groove.

The first single, "Rumour," is a kaleidoscopic space-house track with Isolée's signature chords that sound so familiar, with string-like sounds that never feel overdone but add a beautiful tension. Whether it's "Clap Gently" (yes, the album does have some claps as familiar as we know them from our resort island holidays) or "7eleven2" each track beckons us to move and dream, to smile and even shed a shy tear. The bouncy beats that interconnect all the tracks, except for "Let's Dance," will also work incredibly well in his live set. These tracks make it impossible not to sway to the rhythm and lose oneself in their quirky charm. “Resort Island” got me and I wish Wes Anderson would make a movie out of it. 

‘Resort Island’ LP is coming out tomorrow, May 19, via the newly founded Resort Island record label.

TRACKLISTING:

01. Coco’s Visa
02. Canada Balsam
03. Pardon My French
04. Con O Sin
05. Let’s Dence
06. Modernation
07. Rumour
08. Clap Gently
09. Tender Date
10. 7eleven2