Dancing Astronaut’s 2024 Album of the 12 months: Tinlicker – ‘Chilly Sufficient For Snow’ – Dancing Astronaut
by: Zach Salafia
Dec 22, 2024
Amongst a sea of worthy contenders for the title of Dancing Astronaut’s 2024 Album of the 12 months, one album stood tall above the remainder: Tinlicker’s Chilly Sufficient For Snow. The album, launched February 16 through [PIAS] Électronique, embodies the high-caliber manufacturing for which the duo, comprised of Micha Heyboer and Jordi van Achthoven, have develop into identified for. The LP’s chic toplines, stylistic variety, and worldwide supporting tour — which was about “performing as a musician, not as a DJ,” they are saying — helped solidify the challenge’s Album of the 12 months candidacy. However Tinlicker’s daring resolution to honor their artistic instincts and embrace the dangers of inventive evolution, culminating in an album that authentically expands their sound, in the end cemented the nod. Certainly, “It has our soul, our DNA in it,” Micha Heyboer instructed Dancing Astronaut earlier this 12 months.
Over the course of greater than a decade, Tinlicker have persistently pushed boundaries on this planet of home and techno, cultivating a sound that’s each distinctive and distinct to them. Their use of actual devices, starting from strings to keys to horns, has lengthy been a staple of the challenge that helps to separate their sound from different, extra conventional dance acts. Past the instrumentation, their music additionally has an uncommon and highly effective propensity to evoke an array of emotions, from euphoria to unhappiness, and the whole lot in between. It’s music one can dance to, little question, but it surely’s additionally music that tells a compelling story.
Forward of the album’s February 16 launch, Tinlicker confronted fairly a little bit of change; they left their long-time label, Anjunabeats, for [PIAS] Électronique and transitioned from solely performing DJ units to a format that included dwell performances. These strikes have been dangerous however well-calculated, significantly for a duo that’s not solely comfy taking the highway much less traveled, but additionally noticed these strategic decisions as crucial subsequent steps to appreciate the artistic path of their subsequent album. The result’s a masterclass of an album that balances innovation with high quality.
What stands out most about Chilly Sufficient For Snow is its sonic variety. The album engages a wide range of types, from melodic (like “Slipstream” and “Staring Down Sundown”) to indie-electronic (“This Life” and “Nothing To Lose”), to clubbier, extra techno-leaning instrumentals, similar to “Blowfish” and “Revolution.” It even features a monitor with out their customary four-on-the-floor beats, “Strawberry.” Tinlicker produced the collaboration alongside Metropole Orkest, Netherlands-based jazz and pop orchestra with whom they carried out to open Amsterdam Dance Event in 2023.
The vocalists on the album each complement Tinlinker’s manufacturing throughout the album and breathe additional life into it. Frequent collaborator Nathan Nicholson graces three tracks, and esteemed singer-songwriters like Tom Smith, Brian Molko, and British band Circa Waves convey a refreshing, indie-rock taste to the desk not beforehand heard on Tinlicker’s prior LPs. Notably, Julia Church is featured twice on the album, and on two of its standout tracks (“Glasshouse” and “Slipstream”) nonetheless. And but regardless of the album’s common — and welcome — stylistic variety, Chilly Sufficient For Snow nonetheless feels cohesive from begin to end.
Within the months that adopted the LP’s launch, the Dutch duo hit the highway for a headline tour throughout Europe and North America that featured a cease at CRSSD in San Diego. Tinlicker’s dwell present did the album justice, validating their resolution to embrace the dwell format in a manner they hadn’t earlier than. It additionally helped to convey additional life to its tracklist. The manufacturing pair ended the 12 months by releasing a remix album with highlights that included an UNKLE reconstruction of “Glasshouse” and a membership mixture of “Slipstream.”
Above all else, Chilly Sufficient For Snow demonstrated unparalleled ingenuity and in the end serves as a testomony to Tinlicker’s decade-plus dedication to push boundaries for the sake of artwork, and chase what they’re captivated with moderately than selecting to mix in and play it protected.
“We don’t like residing protected,” Heyboer additionally stated. In the case of making music, “there’s just one rule: we’ve to love it.”
With Chilly Sufficient For Snow, there’s a complete lot to love.
Featured photos: Mako Media
Classes: Music