Smart of Paul St. Hilaire to call his first record in more than a decade
Tikiman. Indeed, under that banner - which he is now no longer allowed to use as a stage name - he built up quite a reputation as the reggae singer. Primarily through his pioneering work with the duo
Moritz Von Oswald and
Mark Ernestus (
Rhythm & Sound), but also through collaborations with acts such as
Deadbeat,
The Bug,
… Modeselektor and Stereotyp. Born in the Dominican Republic but living in Berlin for nearly thirty years, St. Hilaire operates on Tikiman; Vol. 1 at the intersection of dub and techno. Bedroom In My Bag is a wildly exciting opener, in which his intoxicating voice suddenly emerges from a Aphex Twin-like tapestry of sound, only to disappear back into it just as suddenly. But although "alien" influences like a ripping guitar (Keep Safe) or a danceable beat (In Door) pop up here and there, the main premise remains dub. Slow, hypnotic and across the board extremely addictive. (RME)more
