Phonat is a lanky Italian DJ who’s quit the rennaisance splendour of Firenze and decamped to grimy old London Town. The smog must suit his constitution as he’s come up with a belter of an album which cuts out the middle man and sees him both create and remix his own tunes. The end result may be a digital album but it is one which, nevertheless, is oozing with his schizophrenic personality. He’s not here to make you think though – this album is as commercial as they come, recalling the nu-rave chart hits of the early 90’s.

Check out Set Me Free which could set light to any dancefloor; a potential chart topper which could have been released any time between 1991 and 2009. It takes the Hagar era Van Halen model to its ultimate conclusion and combines soft rock vocals and epic synths with an infectious dance groove. There’s no Eddie Van Halen solos but Phonat isn’t averse to dropping in some of his own nifty guitar lines here and there throughout the album– it just takes a while to tune your ear into them as they are so well disguised in the mix. Learn To Recycle is similarly epic and, whilst it may have an environmental point to make it also has potential to generate some dancefloor mayhem.

Ghetto Burnin’ is driven by one of Phonat’s dirtiest guitar riffs and features some ball busting ragga vocals from Yolanda. There’s more to the album than just full throttle potential chartbusters however, and the highlight of the album for The Music Fix comes with It’s For You which is kinda like Mark Knopfler jamming over a Robert Miles soundscape; providing the ideal chill-out conterpoint to the hyperactivity. The whole thing is enormous fun – what more can you ask for?

Full article taken from http://www.themusicfix.co.uk/content/review/6388/phonat.html

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