Sometimes we hear an interview with a cool DJ and order some hardcore dance (ie disco, four beats to the bar, nothing too whacky) from Chicago or somewhere; Frankie Knuckles is way too commercial, it’s people like Cajmere or songs from genres with “jack” in the title. The music is often hard, almost industrial, a technical dance sound one feels is listened to by burly dancers sweating off a week spent working construction; very Saturday Night Fever chance-to-escape type music.

This is that, and as the name suggest it’s muscular; in fact, early on the listener might fear Namosh is actually snarling the lyrics, staring at the mic through gritted teeth and daring the listener not to shake his or her thang.

We assumed Namosh was some old school dude who hung with Kraftwerk or David Bowie in his Berlin years, but while he is German, he’s not that old, a mere 37, though he has lived in Berlin since 1999.

The music is metronomic, with precise electronic beats and dated in sound; early 80s’ experimental but slightly quirky dance. We can’t think of anyone to compare it to, Kraftwerk aside; it’s got less soul than the original Giorgio Moroder stuff and it’s less gentle than more modern electronic pop; we played Plastic Operator’s Different Places but that’s too poppy while bands like Cut Copy are just way too lush.

Despite the clinical tone, he says his music is about the healing powers of dancing and singing… “ not as a revival thing, I wanted to expand on the sounds and arrangements so that it sounded contemporary — and became my own,” he told us via a Press release.

Opener Dynamo is instrumental and the threatening if melodic vocals appear in Skip To My Foot; he has a deep voice that would not be out of place in a Bony M song. There’s a bit of funk and some levity in the beeps and boops; you could become very fond of it and clubbers may well hear any of these tracks in the middle of more famous names.

https://www.namosh.com/