Live at Robert Johnson are back in the recorded- and physical format with Lifesaver 3. Always a reliable instrument by which to gauge the way which the tide of club music is turning, the lifesaver compilations mark their third installment with familiar names like Lauer, Roman Flügel, Massimiliano Pagliara and Fort Romeau – Artists and DJs with close ties to the Frankfurt institution. Individually they cover the broad scope of electronic club music, but for Lifesaver 3 their was clearly a collective intent behind their work. With the majority of the artists favouring a DIY electronic sound with direct link to Detroit the pulse of Electro runs through the heart of Lifesaver 3.
Each putting their own spin on the genre, from Lauer’s upbeat delights from an eighties synth palette to TCB’s stripped back ghetto variation on Electro, artists walked outside the confines of House and Techno’s rigid formulas for Lifesvaer 3. It’s only Roman Flügel, Fort Romeau and Felix Strahd that stick to a four on the floor arrangement, and in the context of the compilation it does come across as a little stilted and stale, but not without their own individual beauty as prime examples from these artists.
It’s Benedikt Frey that makes the most significant mark on the compilation, delving in dark and morose soundscapes, delivering one of the most unique tracks on the compilation and a great example of his artistic voice. Benedikt Frey is certainly one of the most exciting artists around today and with a few releases on LARJ already, he represents the label and the club’s innate ability in finding those rarefied gems in electronic music. Theirs is a unique ability to keep pushing at the boundaries of club music, both in the recorded format and through the experience, and Lifesaver 3 establishes this yet again.