Defected in the House: Eivissa 2007 Defected
“Defected” is a harsh word. But it’s fair to say that this latest entry in the ongoing series does suffer from a case of multiple personality disorder.
Mixed by Simon Dunmore (co-founder of the Defected record label), Defected in the House: Eivissa 2007 is a double-disc collection of jazzy hooks and joyful beats. But the tone vacillates wildly, ranging from the soulful double-punch of openers “Get Down” (Todd Terry All-Stars) and “Given me Joy” (Marc Evans) to minimalist techno house like “The Sun Can’t Compare” (Larry Heard). Dunmore’s expertise earns the album credit, as he provides pretty smooth segues from powerfully emotive tracks to cooler, lighter fare. But you can only do so much to unify such a disparate range of sounds: latin-jazz, afro-beats and Bargrooves all receive a salute. The listener may quickly grow frustrated when the rug is continually pulled out from under them... just as they were finally finding a cohesive groove.
Typically, double-disc albums like this run overly long; the second half tends to be a collection of filler tracks, souring the palate like dishwater coffee after a mouthwatering meal. Interestingly enough, the inverse is true on Eivissa. Here, the second disc is the real keeper... not because the selections are superior, but because there is unified tone and sound. Whereas the first half wanders aimlessly, the second marches steadily along well-trodden path of world-music house. Highlights like “My Reflection” (Osunlade featuring Devine Essence) is a gorgeous treat of African beats and spoken word poetry. Even French DJ Martin Solveig takes an ethnic track, with “Cabo Parano.” Here, vocalist Stephy Halk sings in her native French over another exercise in Africanism. The second disc gels, thematically, in a way that the first does not.
On Eivissa, quality tracks have been refracted through an unfocused lens. Its cover art resembles a high-energy Ultra compilation, its heavy dose of ethnically inspired tracks recall the Om series... and it strains to brand itself as a distinct entry in a crowded field of compilations. Too bad, as there’s a lot of good music to be found on this release. If only they weren’t all found in the same place.