Release Date: March 28, 2011
Cross-pollination in the electronica world is no new thing, and Taragana Pyjarama’s latest installment of tunes comes by way of a self-titled EP. On this EP, he combines forces with Brooklyn collaborators Teengirl Fantasy and South American DJ/dance master Ricardo Tobar. On both occasions, their remixed versions of “Girls,” showcasing Tobar’s talents, and “Ocean,” highlighted by Teengirl, are exceptional in every way. Their contributions take Taragana Pyjarama’s talents behind his equipment to a higher level and provide a melodic flow of musical events fit for any house party, basement rave or chill time in the yard next to the pool.
Taragana Pyjarama, aka Eim Ick, aka Nick Kold Eriksen, molded this EP into musical poetry. Eim Ick makes wistful electronica, with an outrageous soundscape. The best part of his work is it doesn’t get you snoozing when you should be out of your seat. His delivery is enriching and exultant on this record with a multitude of punching beats surrounded by caressing strains. There is a certain air of change between his music and his monikers. Song length, tempo and profoundness of sound are some major differences. As Eim Ick, his music has a disjointed, almost sporadic meter to it. His tunes take on a futuristic appeal and still make room for proper beats following casiotone excitement. As Eriksen, his sound is near-techno and touts a vibe that blends a hip-hop beat and the soundtrack for the movie Bladerunner.
His magic is felt as Taragana Pyjarama. The first song on his EP is “Sundanese Blonde,” which starts with a twinkling keyboard, echoing like metal rain that falls from the sky of the future. It starts out all over the place but quickly morphs into a dreamscape of melodies and backing vocals. The echo is its appeal and really drives through at a slow and determined pace. This song is a metallurgic boat ride and with every crash of the cymbal in the backing; it’s as though water is crashing against the hull, giving it an ever-so-gentle push.
Taragana Pyjarama has two more original tracks on the album, “Girls” and “Ocean,” which both showcase this electrical emperor’s talents in full force. “Girls” starts out mega-funky and brings a shallow but firm house appeal to the table. It blasts a slightly African beat with time warp-sounding keyboard hits, and would fit in with a late night laser light show. “Ocean” is slightly longer and starts in slowly with waves crashing in the background. There is a wave theme continuing throughout and with the cover art, there is the idea that Targana Pyjarama is harnessing the appeal of creating life through music. The song has a sped-up beat lingering in the distance as though the tide is quickly coming in. When it arrives, the tide is met with a space station appeal that would have Daft Punk creaming in their moon man suits.
Both songs are produced and performed well in their own right, but Taragana Pyjarama brings in collaborators for the two tracks and they are both blended magically from different perspectives.
Ricardo Tobar twists the beat for “Girls” ever so slightly and manages to turn the song into a low-key samba beat at the beginning. The song stays true to TP’s taste, but is akin to adding salt to a salt-less meal—it’s just the right flavoring. As Teengirl Fantasy takes on “Ocean,” they bring with them a subtle bass chord in the background. Around a minute in, it shifts gears and creaks into a sci-fi thriller motif.
As a man of many faces, Taragana Pyjarama is a hard target to draw a bead on, but his music is simply tasty. Whether he’s parading around under one pen name or another, he’s got the gift to get the party started. The EP is excellently produced and has that touch of magic that can only be described through dance.
Taragana Pyjarama – s/t Tracklist:
- “Sundanese Blonde”
- “Girls”
- “Ocean”
