French producer Philippe Cam has been absent (and forgotten?) for four years now, long after his trancey trio of ambient 12 inches for Traum, and his massive “Karine” landed him plenty of comparisons to Manuel Göttsching’s “E2-E4.” “Somewhere Between Here and There,” released on Canada’s Musique Risquee, comes with remixes by label heads Deadbeat and Akufen, and also shows Cam absorbing more of the sound of his new labelmates. “Un Salon Dans Le Ciel” is akin to a more ambient Akufen production, with a gentle ticking panning back and forth, and warm, yet jerky organ stabs. Deadbeat’s remix of “Un Salon” sounds exactly like you’d expect it to, adding his signature tech-dub feel and plenty of cavernous reverb, but it still remains enjoyable while it plays. Cam’s title track on the flipside is more similar to his early material, with gorgeously lush synth pads that could brighten a room like sunlight through a window. Akufen’s remix barely tampers with the original “Somewhere,” other than replacing the breezy shuffley feel with a straighter four-on-the-floor pulse. A very enjoyable release, from an artist who needs to record more.

Musique Risquee / 008
[Michael F. Gill]