So, mr Ligny, we meet again!

Fabrice Lig is the first and most probably the last artist I’ve ever sent fanmail to. His debut LP called “Walking On a Little Cloud” (under Soul Designer alias, 2002) was, and still is, very much my taste in deep techno – mostly dreamy, Detroit-influenced beautiful soundscapes, with nicely programmed techy and very distinctive beats. So after listening to the album for the first time, I just felt the sudden urge to express my exaltation to him and give some casual respect. And he replied shortly – thanked me for my letter and, if I remember correctly, said some nice things he had heard about the Estonian underground community. Naturally, I was all excited about this kind of personal contact and was sure that it was a beginning of close relationship, musically.

In some point, we ‘grew apart’, musically. The next albums, “Roots of the Future” and “My 4 Stars”, did not make me feel like sending fanmail, it started to sound a bit.. eeeh… worn out to me, to be honest. And from there it got more and more… eeeh… cheesy. Although he maintained the characteristic and recognizable sound, the basslines got naive and a bit irritating. Of course we still ‘shared’ some bright moments – like the “On Stage EP” he made with Jean Vanesse (the South Union project), that was catchy and sharp as ever. Nevertheless, as the time came by, I felt like seeing other people, musically.

But I hadn’t heard the last of mr Lig, it appears. Every single day, when I browse my RSS feed for new releases, I dream to come across such sick tunes as “The Track”. It starts with hypnotic carlcraigish stomping and hits the climax with huuuuge epic breakdown, growing and growing and growing, climbing up the octave with crazy synth stabs. If I know anything about the people going to the parties where we play, they will be knocked out by it. There are quite ecstatic comments on it on WAS already, by the most prominent DJs and producers. That one really heats up our relationship again, musically, and I feel like sending fanmail again. Definitely books a high place in my personal 2008 chart.

The below is a snip from the superb Offtrack radio show, so don’t be scared if you occasionally hear the soothing voice of Dirk Rumpff.

A: The Track
B1: Bump Bump
B2: The Riff Pourpre