Hello, I received a copy of this last night. I gave it a few listens first thing this morning. Nighttime World v2 obviously isn't banging, "throw y0 hands in the air" Techno. The weather this morning is sunny and mild in Detroit, and this album compliments the feelings and impressions of a lazy sunday morning. Over all Nighttime has a warm vibe that is inviting. It will draw you in upon the first listen, but it becomes more rewarding and revealing upon further rotations.
Rather than pursuing another double pack of banging floor cuts, Rob eases back a little and appropriates certain R&B/Hip-Hop elements into his music. I think the tracks in this style are the strongest composition on the album. I find them to be lusher, more complex and more rewarding than the minimal 4/4 material, tracks like Teflon and Dark Room seem like they would have more appropriate on a separate promo 12" rather than interspersed with the rest of the material on the album. What really stands out in my mind are the downtempo tracks, specifically Peace, and Still, as well as Desire and Untitled. The level of songwriting and sound design seem much higher to me on these tracks. Between the downtempo material and the more soulful dance cuts, it seems Robert is growing as an artist. I would like to see him move in this direction in the future, I believe he is capable of a great deal more as a musician, and he will blossom as he moves further and further away from the minimal Detroit Techno straight jacket he helped invent. I do have issues with this album. While I enjoy the individual tracks on the album, I think that the album as a whole might have benefited if it had been put together differently. I think it suffers for 12" syndrome, as it probably makes more sense taken as 4 different sides each with a separate personality. While it does have a logical progression, it seems like some tracks could have been switched around or substituted in order to create a greater cohesive feel and flow. The single greatest example would be Silent Hill, that track feels like a speed bump in the last half of the album. Rob Hood demonstrates with this album is that he is capable of subtle yet complicated arrangements. His creativity shines when he allows himself the freedom to create music outside of the stark mold that people associate with prime-time Rob Hood. Whatever reservations I do have about the track order, the individual tracks absolutely shine. I highly recommend this album. Rob has been around longer than most, but he is still a very young man. I cannot wait to see where he will take this in another 5 years. Take care, mt -- Michael Taylor : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
