Take a slow dive with Dream Cargoes, by Erwin Van Moll (TJ Kong – yes, after the rocket riding cowboy in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’) and Gijs Janssen (Modular K). Released on Poker Flat Recordings, the album marks the duo’s debut effort at releasing an album together, although they are no strangers to the scene. 

As the title itself suggests, Dream Cargoes is a sleek, smooth delivery that sweeps the mind along on a wandering journey. The album features 10 tracks, seamlessly woven together and featuring undulating dubby builds, but is perhaps less commanding material than what the duo has shown themselves to be capable of, based on previous collaborations: Venusberg (2009) and Jack Shit (2011).

https://soundcloud.com/pokerflatrecordings/t-j-kong-modular-k-jack-shit

While opening track, ‘Chronopolis’, starts off strong, the overall mood is relatively mellow, with tracks averaging around at least 7 minutes each. 

https://soundcloud.com/tjkong/01-chronopolis?in=tjkong/sets/tj-kong

The album is slightly pear-shaped, in that it gets more energetic slightly past the mid-mark. 

Tracks like The Last World of Mr. Goddard, Dream Cargoes, and The Delta At Sunset, unfold into dreamy soundscapes, but seem to glide along with a certain restraint. End-Game, released ahead of the album as an EP, features guest clarinetist Edward Capel and has already been remixed by Reference, Deep Space Orchestra and revisited by TJ Kong himself. 

https://soundcloud.com/tjkong/tj-kong-modular-k-end-game

https://soundcloud.com/tjkong/tj-kong-modular-k-end-game-1

Now Wakes The Sea is where things sound slightly dramatic, and therefore promising, opening up into what is my personal favourite on this album - Studio 5, The Stars, which features lush synths and strings swimming alongside a warm bassline. The Sound-sweep is also one of the more colorful tracks on Dream Cargoes, featuring a slowly unfolding, sexy variation in sound. Memories of the Space Age winds things down, before Now:Zero wraps it up with a surprisingly lively rhythm that dips into a jazzy groove. 

Dream Cargoes is a skillfully stacked load, with everything in its right place; a journey properly navigated by two experienced producers, but I’m up for a little less teasing – go on and wake the sleeping giant. 



Tracklist
01.Chronopolis
02.The Last World of Mr. Goddard
03.Dream Cargoes
04.The Delta At Sunset
05.End-Game (feat. Edward Capel)
06.Now Wakes The Sea
07.Studio 5, The Stars
08.The Sound-sweep
09.Memories of the Space Age
10.Now:Zero 

Buy:
http://pokerflat-recordings.com/releases/dream-cargoes 



http://www.tjkong.com