Dominik Eulberg
Flora & Fauna

THE REVIEW

Even tech/house music has its own "avant-garde."

Few musicians have not become atrophied or stiffened by the exercise of the age-old 4/4, capable, eventually, of critically questioning the past. Their investigation, although not having produced a revolution (overturning the few elements peculiar to it would perhaps mean killing it), has nevertheless demonstrated how repetition and constant looping are not the only weapons of tech/house, a genre often glossed over and underrated for the sole, I would say, fault of being condemned to be an ancillary genre to dancing, nightclub dancing. Certainly, it was born that way, among the floors of crowded venues, but dying of one's own birth is an unacceptable paradox, even for a style that is not too cultured or reflective. And so, the accuracy and quality of sound are elevated, attempting to seduce the listener with new ideas, unexpected mixes, and fresh breezes.

Dominik Eulberg, who has a talent rarely found in the entertainment and "DJing" field, is part of this group. He has an excessive passion for the environment, animal world, and nature, always carefully flaunted, driven by university studies and supported by part-time employment in the forest ranger service (if I am not mistaken, he is sometimes tasked with being a custodian of a park). I mention this because all three of his CDs are inspired by nature. Eulberg indeed tries to tell little stories: nursery rhymes about deer, squirrels, little plants, and flowers. Letting an inspiring concept peek through, whatever it may be, without it being crypted by the strict and compelling laws of the "four-on-the-floor" beat, would seem unthinkable! The German, perhaps briefly, succeeds in this.

"Flora & Fauna" is his debut, his first dedication to Demeter, his first songbook in electronic dialect. An enjoyable album, that induces both dancing and listening. Clean, expertly produced, it combines conventional rhythmic patterns with entirely convincing melodies and samples, discovering minimalism as a useful modus operandi. Eulberg, with just a few well-chosen sounds, manages to compose the backbone of the tracks, then embellishes it with some sly touches. Sometimes he surprises with some ambient break, tout court. Thus he builds his musical forest and dance woods.

It was produced in 2004, by Traumschallplatten: subsequently, Dominik would record two more, without (I believe) further enhancing freshness. "Flora & Fauna" is the most representative. It was and still is a surprise.