- Steven Van Hulle is part of a vibrant Amsterdam house scene that also includes his frequent collaborators Tom Trago and San Proper. He's built up quite a discography working with them and others, but his solo releases have been few and far between. Opel Mantra, his overflowing debut album, is long and lovably disjointed, finally allowing us a look into his quirky mind. Split over three separate 12-inches, you’d hesitate to call it an album at all—it definitely doesn’t work as a sit-and-listen experience. But perhaps more importantly, it establishes Awanto 3 as a worthy artist in his own right. Joyous and sun-kissed at every turn, Opel Mantra is hard to dislike, even if it wears out its welcome just a bit.
Each record here has its own defined personality, but if there's one thing that unites them all, it's Van Hulle's upbeat disposition. African music and Latin rhythms are woven deep in the roots of this music, and there's a liveliness to it that makes even simple workouts (like the subtle swing of "Dikkiedik") feel special. On the first record, Van Hulle gets surprising mileage out of the simple contrast between sampled drums and the nylon texture of synthesizers. Slippery chords wobble beneath a buoyant rhythm track on "Su What?" "The Wall" is a wonderful slice of early morning deep house. It's easy to imagine this first EP being a breakthrough release on its own.
Things flag slightly on the second 12-inch. That same lifelike drum palette turns into hippie-dance drum circle material without lead melodies to keep it interesting. The ten-minute "Cowbelgian," a smoky hand percussion jam, smoulders nicely but feels strangely funkless. The record is also home to "Baila Con Paula," a samba-esque track embellished by nine-piece jazz band Jungle By Night, which sounds like it belongs on a TV infomercial. Moments like this make Van Hulle out to be a bit of a cheeseball, a trait that can be endearing or frustrating depending on your own level of cynicism.
There's a mischievous quality to almost everything Awanto 3 touches. He can't help it—his music is fun and uplifting above all else. While the three-EP format feels like a cop-out when we're told that Opel Mantra is meant to be an album, some might see it as a more effective way to release club music. And with at least two EPs' worth of solid gold material spread over its sprawling six sides, it's got more to offer than most producers' debut albums.
トラックリストPart 1
01. Su What?
02. The Wall
03. Applecake
04. Su What? (Jameszoo remix)
Part 2
01. Boogiedownpopke
02. Knocke Now
03. Cowbelgian
04. Baila Con Paula feat. Jungle By Night
Part 3
01. Dikkiedik feat. Tom Trago
02. Bubbles Made Me Cry
03. Jillinekrace
04. Talk Together