Dukwa - Zeitgeist [Slacker 85]

Format: LP in printed sleeve.

‘Zeitgeist’, the debut album from acclaimed Italian electronic music producer Dukwa, kicks off with a foolproof dancefloor formula: swinging kick drums, a tangle of percussion and shimmering hi-hats leading to a hard-hitting bassline. In a matter of seconds, dancers are thrown into the house anthem ‘You Don't Want It’, as raw as it is charismatic, as sensual as it is powerful. During the next forty-five minutes of rhythm, melody and studio trickery, Zeitgeist continues to bend time, eras, and bodies.

Having released EPs on respected labels such as Numbers, Gudu and Diynamic Records, always with the backing of figures like Jackmaster, Peggy Gou and Solomun, Dukwa effortlessly joins Slacker85's philosophy, delivering a statement of intent aimed directly at dancers. Influenced by his youth spent in record stores in Florence, the fervor of the Italian rave scene and his recent appearances at Circoloco and Kappa FuturFestival, Zeitgeist knowingly subverts its title to glide between styles with an urgency that can be felt in your heels.

Soon, Dukwa fluidly oscillates between overflowing acid and weightless house in ‘Catch All’, while in ‘Show Me’ he further refines the balance between softness and forcefulness, with the album's first euphoric breakdown: a moment of closed eyes and raised arms, without losing its organic flow. Demonstrating control over every corner of his record bag, ‘Avec Moi’ takes a decided turn towards hypnotic trance, interrupted by a sensual French voice.

‘All You Need’ functions as the album's pulsating heart, with Dukwa's central philosophy at the forefront: layers of synthesized groove, tensions and releases.

“The world is full of fights, ignorance, and greed, but here, on the dance floor, rhythm is all you need.”

Meanwhile, ‘My Turn’ channels a more cinematic instinct, centered on an elegant piano riff that unfolds a deep house journey of contained epicness.

As Zeitgeist approaches its climax, Dukwa naturally squeezes the emotional charge from his well-oiled studio. ‘Sad Eyes’ conveys the sentimental punch of so many classic late-night anthems: still pushing forward, but with a tinge of melancholic ecstasy. Finally, in the closing passage ‘Stck1’, Dukwa lets the machines sing, capturing a brief symphony of modulations in harmony that touch on the most eccentric electronica, without abandoning his characteristic pulse.