It’s a love story: Stil vor Talent have long been mad about Niconé and Sascha Braemer so that the recent past has seen some very memorable releases by the two producers. Now it’s about time they join forces to release a whole album together. While Sascha Braemer only recently caused waves with his über-track “People”, Niconé is a long-established pillar of top-class electronic music. And when he plays out, people realise which celebrated DJ and producer hides behind the alias.

Known for their often very musical techno and house productions, “Romantic Thrills” encapsulates this style while adding an extra element of sex and pop appeal, to put it frankly. All their production experience and DJ expertise seem to have streamed into an album that manages, in all its eclecticism, to be conceived as a complete whole. The tracks work like songs, unfolding their pure magic only when listened to in full: often adding new, but decisive elements later in the track, they are clear about when to drop the beat back in a seemingly subconscious fashion. Think what you want about electronic albums, this one is so much more than a mere collection of unreleased singles.

Let’s begin where things start off gently with the slow-moving, piano-driven “Dreamer”, which, halfway through, is more reminiscent of Radiohead than the sound of Berlin’s club scene. Simply a pretty epic pop track with a great falsetto vocal line, then. “Little Love” progresses slowly towards deeper techno terrain with great sounding synth leads and basslines. Keeping the vocal elements central to the arrangement, it makes for a wonderfully deep and soulful tech anthem. “Liar” best represents the eclecticism at the album’s heart. Over a Skaaeske groove, a chunky bass and considerably slower BPM, a male speaker humorously ponders over his relationship to drugs. This is bound to be a favourite at the afterhour. Title track “Romantic Thrills” then moves things back to the dancefloor, with an infusing tech-house groove, piano stabs and deeply hypnotic vocals. “Runaway”, “Pianotic” and “Caje” represent three more prime examples of how to incorporate piano, trumpet or guitar melodies into electronic music organically without sounding artificial. The guitar on “Runaway” adds a deeply melancholic element to a track underlined by wonderful singing, which, again, reminds one of Radiohead. The melodies on “Pianotic” meanwhile make you want to hug the world again and again. “Caje” takes the Spanish guitar to the dancefloor, makes everyone sit in a circle and clap their hands to this Iberian summer wonder. The sun will break through the clouds when you put this on.

Things take yet another turn to more oldskool-orientated dancefloor music with “Never”. Sascha and Niconé have managed to recreate a late disco track that meets up with Chicago House along the line. A thick bassline, some wonderful strings and a great melodic vocal make this track oh so very special. Up next a secret gem: “Love Me” is one of the most sexy tech tracks on this album. The billowing synth pads and mesmerizing vocal lead the way for the organic and super-deep bassline that kicks in at the very right moment, every time. With “Not The End” the album signals that it’s actually slowly coming to an end. It’s a powerful little piece of tech-house that works with many delicately arranged samples. Ultimately, “Thänk You” is another humorous and epic spoken-word piece, with a siren marking the groove and the piano melody causing shivers down the spine of the listener. What an ending to a top-produced and perfectly arranged album with 11 tracks of the finest quality!

Sascha Braemer and Niconé have clearly managed to create an album with distinct and versatile stylistic aesthetics. At full length, it unfolds like a familiar narrative to many a night out: it starts off dreaming about the club, then invades that space, letting the night progress, until it slowly comes to a reconciling end. This album is all killer, no filler. Just the way it should be.

Catalogue number: SVT068