A Sunset Sparks
B Boma
Claremont 56¡Çs latest beguiling two-tracker is as picturesque, sun-kissed and humid as they
come. It may surprise some, though, to find that the artist behind these intoxicating tracks is
not an experienced creator of wide-eyed Balearic fare, but rather a little-known but fast-rising
producer from Moscow.
Alterleo is the production alias of Denis Leonovich, a television sound producer who has
spent his spare time making music for the best part of ten years. He released a handful of
dancefloor-focused EPs (mostly on local label National Techno) at the dawn of the decade,
before retreating to the shadows to experiment further in order to develop his own trademark
sound. Last year he resurfaced via a track on a two-part vinyl compilation
It¡Çs this exotic new direction – inspired, Denis says, by his desire to join the dots between
psychedelic disco, Balearica and tribal rhythms – that¡Çs showcased on the producer¡Çs
Claremont 56 debut, which also marks his first solo vinyl excursion. Both tracks are
underpinned by gentle, undulating tribal rhythms, and include sounds and melodies crafted by
the producer on kalimba, vargan and some of the small native instruments that form part of his
growing collection of such items.
A-side ¡ÈSunset Sparks¡É is a thing of rare beauty: a dreamy, humid and tropical excursion in
which fluttering flute melodies and delay-laden African vocals gently rise above slowly-shifting
chords, psychedelic electronics and a synth bassline so squeezable that you could use it as
a stress ball.
Denis¡Çs love of bold synth basslines is also evident on flipside cut ¡ÈBoma¡É, a slightly bolder
and more polyrhythmic excursion whose sparkling melodies, fuzzy guitar motifs, Jew¡Çs Harp
lines and foreboding aural textures create a quietly trippy mood. Some may note the influence
of Jan Schulte¡Çs Wolf Mueller project, but Denis has crafted a mesmerizing signature sound
all of his own.
A Sunset Sparks
B Boma
[S-023808-]
[S-463824-]
