Mark Henning – Jupiter Jive

Author

Joe Stawarz

Published

Monday 28th July

Soma Recordings

Over the last few years Mark Henning has made a name for himself with a string of releases on quality labels such as Fruede Am Tanzen, Einmaleins, Cynosure and now Glasgow’s Soma Recordings. Henning’s sound fuses elements of Techno and House – his productions offer a clever slice of funk and drive while maintaining a relatively stripped-back arrangement and his debut LP Jupiter Jive is no exception.

Almaha913 sets the scene with a quirky, haunting vibe one might expect from Microhouse legend Akufen. Its vocal snippets, scratchy percussion and dark synths are all recurring themes throughout. Henning delves deeper into the twisted mood and it doesn’t take long before it’s really on! Moody Bastard delivers some intense moments with its menacing synths and crisp drums while Chav Land and Stash sound like they’re trapped inside an arcade game gone wrong, which can only be a good thing. Jupiter Jive is not all pure evil though; tracks like Frau Daudle and All Star Geek provide momentary relief with their more optimistic character.

If Jupiter Jive lacks anything, it’s stylistic variety, but even Henning himself has stated that it’s not a concept album. What we have here is an excellent collection of well produced, dance-floor oriented tracks that still pack a punch for home listeners.