Released through his legendary underground label OMEAC in April 2018 - New York based producer, visual artist and DJ Mr. Hoosteen's debut album Anachronism is a cracking listen, which is riveting, exciting, daring and above all - very, very fun. Just like his sophomore record No Time 2 Lose - Anachronism is a seamless, epic journey from start to finish - however, instead of the smooth, nu disco influenced grooves present - this record shows a darker, slightly less polished side to his work - making it all the more interesting and quirky.
If No Time 2 Lose was Mr. Hoosteen's equivalent to Discovery - then Anachronism is his Homework. Although, at heart, this is meant to be a French house record (and there is plenty of groove and funk to go around!) - as stated above, Anachronism is a much darker record in tone - as throughout the hour and a half this album lasts - listeners are treated to the usual disco and filter house - but also raw, uncompromising acid techno, sleek pulsating house jams with flashy instrumentation and thumping beats and lots of thick, full ambient textures present throughout - making this an oddly cinematic (and deeply atmospheric) listening experience - and showcasing his talent for making cohesive and incredible records which are best listened to in full.
Musically, this album is split into three sections - the first third of the album focuses on the sounds of acid, funk and the late 90s Detroit scene - the second third focuses on disco, synth-pop and the smooth sounds of his home state New York - and finally, the last third focuses on the raw, deep sounds of Chicago. Essentially, Anachronism is an auditory tour through house music - captured excellently by one of the scene's most versatile, incredible and underrated acts.
The first third of the album is extremely hypnotic, rich and quirky - it's incredibly diverse - and goes through all kinds of moods and ideas right from the get go. The opener Goodlife is a sweet - and calming jam which mixes the sweet sounds of disco-infused, filtery house and acid techno (something which is very common in this record!) before the listener is thrown into an arsenal of heavy, bright club weapons - all of which are groundbreaking, strange at points and effortlessly satisfying (especially Acid Track No.1, that thing is a beast!)
The second third of Anachronism shifts from the heavy, pulsating textures of the openers to focus on light, glitzy disco-infused anthems. The bouncy (and irresistibly catchy) Delite - which features Le Berde and Chello - opens this section of the record, before the sounds of Crydamoure and Roule take centre stage with EDM, Dream of Music and Ultimatum - three cracking bangers which ooze with flamboyance and filtery quality, similar to that of the late 90s French house sound. I can tell you with confidence now - that if this record dropped twenty years earlier - these tracks would have been rinsed in nightclubs - before closing with the incredible Heartbreaker featuring Randy Hobbs - which focuses on the same deep, rich textures of the first third - but replaces them with glittery synths and warm production, similar to that of Alan Braxe and Fred Falke.
The final third of Anachronism is quite simply stunning. Although it focuses on the deep, raw sounds of Detroit - to me, it manages to blend the first two sections (while mixing in new ideas, fresh moods and incredible production!) to create a spectacular run of closing tracks. My personal favourites from this section include the stunning Pax Romana - an intense, yet deeply funky future classic which is so bad-ass you could stick it in an action sequence - the deep, heavy club cut Venus - which is dark, pounding and effortlessly stylish at many points (it absolutely kicked at his Beats For A Broken World performance!) and the penultimate track Rhodes - another club tool which, similar to Goodlife - mixes the sounds of filter house, disco and acid expertly - albeit, with a little less chill.
To sum it up in the best way I can - Anachronism is a truly dazzling piece of work. It's vibrant, incredibly well put together - it's mad, colorful, epic, picturesque at points and truly magnificent throughout. A cover-to-cover listen, and one of my all time favourite French house records. If you're looking for something a little different to spice up your listening habits - go and buy this record. You will not be disappointed.
Rating: 9.5/10
You can buy and stream Anachronism through Mr. Hoosteen's Bandcamp now.
There you have it, everyone!
Be sure to go and support Mr. Hoosteen - and as always - keep enjoying your stay at the discotheque.
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