Bottin hails from Venice and, on his new "Respirare'"/ "Waterland" 12-inch, he has crafted a Balearic-infused pair of Italo cuts overflowing with the cultural legacy of the maritime city. One of Italy's most revered DJs on the global scene, Bottin is known for groundbreaking albums like Horror Disco and Punica Fides, his Deardrums project with percussionist Leo di Angilla, his synth pop band Cristalli Liquidi, and his work with the legendary Alexander Robotnick, all of which -- along with his other releases -- have underscored his versatility as a producer of dance music. This release, which relies heavily on a circuit bent Casio MT400v, continues that diverse legacy.
For more than a thousand years La Serenissima was one of the world's richest, most culturally vibrant nations. What remains of the Venetian city-state to this day is an architectural marvel, a canal city on the Adriatic Sea that attracts people from across the world to experience what remains of the Renaissance power's mighty contributions to the world.
"Waterland," a direct reference to Venice (and, coincidentally, the name of the recording studio on the island, where Bottin often finalizes his music), is a buoyant disco number. Its bass ebbs and flows with wave-like consistency, as an intricate wash of synth melodies swirl around each other with a care-free fluidity. Polyrhythmic drums percolate beneath, creating a type of suspended animation that propels motion with a tempered energy. Bottin weaves a timelessness into "Waterland," reflecting a city that rests upon layers of the past that combine to create a sense of the contemporary that nevertheless keeps its ancient charm. Anchoring all of this is the deeply relaxed vibes of a hazy afternoon in the Balearic Islands, located all the way over in the Mediterranean near Spain but never far from our minds.
On the slow-burning crescendo of "Respirare'," Bottin slowly breathes a building sense of kinesis. The title, Spanish for "I will breathe," is appropriate given that it begins with an airtight blend of tick-tock rhythm and minimal bass before Bottin lets the air rush in -- the pace picks up and the synths pile on. While the more upbeat of the two cuts, "Respirare'" isn't here to flip the switch on the chill vibes. Its mission is to gather and direct those vibes, like the blissful effects of controlled breathing. We're more awake than ever, yet our cares and worries never dare make an appearance.
The outcome of Bottin's alchemy: On "Respirare'" he takes the blissed-out enchantment of the Balearic and infuses it with the kinesis of Italo without the music losing its easy-breeze stride. On "Waterland" he does the opposite, tapping into Italo to somehow extract a laid-back Ibizan sunset. With Bottin, you can never go wrong. He's always ready with an invigorating palette of sounds and rhythms that stem from his endless thirst for invention.
Text by Aaron Vehling
For more than a thousand years La Serenissima was one of the world's richest, most culturally vibrant nations. What remains of the Venetian city-state to this day is an architectural marvel, a canal city on the Adriatic Sea that attracts people from across the world to experience what remains of the Renaissance power's mighty contributions to the world.
"Waterland," a direct reference to Venice (and, coincidentally, the name of the recording studio on the island, where Bottin often finalizes his music), is a buoyant disco number. Its bass ebbs and flows with wave-like consistency, as an intricate wash of synth melodies swirl around each other with a care-free fluidity. Polyrhythmic drums percolate beneath, creating a type of suspended animation that propels motion with a tempered energy. Bottin weaves a timelessness into "Waterland," reflecting a city that rests upon layers of the past that combine to create a sense of the contemporary that nevertheless keeps its ancient charm. Anchoring all of this is the deeply relaxed vibes of a hazy afternoon in the Balearic Islands, located all the way over in the Mediterranean near Spain but never far from our minds.
On the slow-burning crescendo of "Respirare'," Bottin slowly breathes a building sense of kinesis. The title, Spanish for "I will breathe," is appropriate given that it begins with an airtight blend of tick-tock rhythm and minimal bass before Bottin lets the air rush in -- the pace picks up and the synths pile on. While the more upbeat of the two cuts, "Respirare'" isn't here to flip the switch on the chill vibes. Its mission is to gather and direct those vibes, like the blissful effects of controlled breathing. We're more awake than ever, yet our cares and worries never dare make an appearance.
The outcome of Bottin's alchemy: On "Respirare'" he takes the blissed-out enchantment of the Balearic and infuses it with the kinesis of Italo without the music losing its easy-breeze stride. On "Waterland" he does the opposite, tapping into Italo to somehow extract a laid-back Ibizan sunset. With Bottin, you can never go wrong. He's always ready with an invigorating palette of sounds and rhythms that stem from his endless thirst for invention.
Text by Aaron Vehling
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