Since 2009, Italian producers TIGER & WOODS aka Marco Passarani and Valerio Del Prete were crafting ’80s-referencing white-label winners, but they zeroed in on something ineffably wonderful in 2011, when they released “Gin Nation” on Running Back. With its languid groove and hypnotic vibe, the tune—simple in construction, liberally borrowing from Imagination’s “Music And Lights” and a little from “Just An Illusion”—was a boogie-sample hit. Fun and otherworldly, it would prove to be a hard act to follow.
Passarani and Del Prete try to recapture that magic with On the Green Again, the follow-up to 2011’s Through The Green. Largely eschewing samples and taking in a broader array of influences, these songs are more fleshed out than the pair’s earlier work, which can feel a bit unnatural at times. After a short, flamboyant intro, “RockMeLoveMe” has a vague Italo sound, with squiggling synths and effusive piano propelled by a bright, electro-funk bassline. Bouncy low-end, loping rhythms and a joyous horn section give muscle to “Bestissimo,” and the horns reappear on “Endless Affair,” weaving their way through subdued keys and a sea of oddly emotive sounds.
On the Green is full of glittering moments, from the Devo-esque synth line in “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden” to the gorgeous, uplifting chords in “Ginger & Fred” and the Talking Heads-ish throb that kicks off “Phoenix.” But the jolt you get from Tiger & Wood’s best work is missing. Perhaps the songs are too ornate, or maybe they’re too similar to so much other retro-themed club fodder. Tiger & Woods haven’t lost their spark, but their music shines less brightly than before.
06.12.2016 h. 23.00
APOLLO CLUB | via Giosuè Borsi, 9 Milano
Free Entry | Door Selection
23.30 – 01.00 Delirium Jazz Band // Welcome Room
01:00 – 04:00 ROLLOVER DJs + TIGER & WOODS // Main Room
01:30 – 3:30 GIANLUCA QUAGLIANO – Nuts Room
