Tom Trago - Iris (2011)

If Tom Trago's debut album, Voyage Direct, was an impressive exercise in developing a signature style, then this sophomore set has clearly been designed to show the sheer scale of the Dutchman's growing ambition. It's almost as if Trago is setting out his stall: he's not just a simple disco/house fusionist, but a musical alchemist with more strings to his bow than a twelve-string player with an impressive collection of lutes, mandarins and sitars. The 15 tracks that make up Iris include forays into noughties hip-house (Tyree Cooper collaboration "What You Do"), crisp, late night electro-funk ("Suckers For Fools", with Olivier Day Soul), ambient soundscapes ("Soon In A Cinema"), rush-inducing Joy Orbison-ish future garage ("Joys Of Choice") and, curiously, hooky, radio-friendly pop-house. Of course, there are some typical Trago moments ("Scent Of Heaven", the Dam Funk-does-deep house vibes of "Space Balloon"), but these are sandwiched between a kaleidoscopic array of rainbow-tinted songs and collaborations (Romanthony, Meikbar and San Proper also feature).

Tracklist:

01 … Life Of Plants & Flowers 4:37
02 … Being With You 3:36
03 … Space Balloon 4:02
04 … What You Do (feat. Tyree Cooper) 4:52
05 … Rootstopia 2:14
06 … Suckers For Fools (feat. Oliver Daysoul) 3:28
07 … Watch Me (feat. Meikbar) 3:17
08 … Gave Me The Love 4:49
09 … Soon In A Cinema 1:57
10 … So Cold (feat. Om'mas) 2:59
11 … Steppin' Out (feat. Romanthony) 3:46
12 … Scent Of Heaven 5:28
13 … Joys Of Choice 3:19
14 … We Like Noam 1:01
15 … Corrupt (feat. San Proper) 4:28