- As advantageous as it can prove for aspiring newcomers, there are two drawbacks with taking the court jester's route to prominence. Firstly, the joke almost always gets old. Secondly, if the comedy is ever suspended in favour of showcasing artistic pedigree, a tough jury from the less amused usually lies in wait. As the zany jokers of Paris's house scene, Nôze have built up a following through their off-beat and often-infectious singles. After four albums full of eccentricity and madcap invention, there's a fairly solid case to argue that the French duo has stood the test of time without descending into a novelty act.
For the 11th chapter of Get Physical's Body Language series, Nôze's Nico Sfintescu delivers his first official mix CD with little attempt at hilarity along the way. Having spent three months crafting an eclectic, era-spanning tracklist, this release is perhaps the Frenchman displaying his artistic pedigree. Left-of-centre, yet still somewhat featureless, house from the likes of Alejandro Mosso, Dave Aju, Marek Hemmann, Tiefschwarz and Âme forms the backbone of the mix. Abstract intermissions of a more organic nature by Makossa & Megablast, Lump and Nôze's new project with the drummer Emiliano Turi not only provide texture, but also make for the more interesting periods. Marking the one moment of ingenuity, Nicolas Jaar's "Russian Dolls" seamlessly meanders into "Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas" by the French jazz composer Zanini, with the nostalgia of Dennis Ferrer and Jerome Sydenham's "A Drumstick And A Light Future" also worked to good effect.
Having edited almost all of the tracks for fluidity, the effort and time Sfintescu has put into this release is unquestionably commendable. If the objective was to demonstrate some hidden credentials then he's gone some way to achieving that too. In addition, Get Physical should be credited for undertaking some tricky licensing on behalf of the Frenchman, including a pursuit in vain of a Jeff Buckley a cappella that was originally intended for the intro. However, judged purely on its audio merits, Body Language Vol. 11 is a resourceful yet ultimately, unexceptional house mix that lacks ignition and that unquantifiable currency of charm.
Tracklist 01. Hemingway - HMG 2
02. Ian Simmonds - The Esel (Dave Aju Remix)
03. JC Freaks - Dub Praise (The Revenge Remix)
04. Oliver Koletzki & Fran - Arrow And Bow (Marek Hemmann Remix)
05. Alejandro Mosso - Pampa
06. Nicolas Jaar - Russian Dolls
07. Zanini - Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas (Nem Vem Que Nas Tem)
08. Dennis Ferrer & Jerome Sydenham - A Drumstick And A Light Future
09. Alex Niggemann - Black Rose
10. Ruede Hagelstein feat. Meggy - Embezzle Me (Tiefschwarz Remix)
11. Makossa & Megablast feat. Hubert Tubbs - Coming Home
12. Dixie Yure - By Defection
13. Lump - Feeling
14. Nico from Noze - Amor Do Olinda
15. dOP - No More Daddy (Âme Remix)
16. SIOPIS - Really Love Ya
17. Ornette - Crazy (Noze Remix)