VA - Kindisch Stories Presented by Dance Spirit (2017)

As it strides on into its 11th year, German label Kindisch is back with another of its excellent Kindisch Stories compilations, this time headed up by Dance Spirit after a fine edition from Bedouin in 2016.Christopher Mohn and Reagan Denius are Dance Spirit, a duo that has been turning out compelling electronic music on labels like Supernature, Rebellion and Akbal Music since 2014. Passionate about timbre, melody and movement, their music is sensitive stuff that makes for steamy dancefloor excursions and takes the pair behind it all over the world as residents for Flying Circus. Here they show off their selecting and sequencing skills with a 13 track offering that features five brand new tracks and eight of their own exclusive remixes from the label’s back catalogue.
Things kick off with a flurry of Dance Spirit originals: ‘Enouement’ is a tech cut with a middle eastern feel thanks to the organic string sounds and glitchy textures, then ‘Piercing the Veil’ offers a nice supple and rubbery groove to get lost in before the pair link with Robbie Akbal for ‘Moving Shapes’, a seven minute masterpiece of loose and jumbled percussion, popping percussive sounds and jostling minimal beats. It is brilliantly atmospheric and really soundtracks a unique world.
From there Dance Spirit show off their remix skills with great versions of tracks by Nick Galemore, Powell and Gab Rhome, all of which are magically musical as well as slick and groove driven: lingering pianos and sombre chords all colour the airwaves and make for an intoxicating mood that sucks you right in.
This carries on through the second half and excellent remixes of YokoO, Stavroz and LUM. It’s back to original material then with a track featuring Hana Choe that bubbles with spacey chords and dreamy vocals. The whole splendid selection closes down with a trio of delicately designed and intricately detailed cuts that are absorbing and woozy and finish this selection in style.
Both as a compilation and testament of the skill of Dance Spirit as producers, this is a fantastic statement.