Sau Paulo deejay and graceful button pusher Gui Boratto has a sound that’s hard to pin down exactly. See, he’s a Brazilian that makes French influenced German house. It’s like the United Nations of minimal techno. Of course, you’ll know exactly what to do when you hear it, and that is nod like a bastard ’til your neck can’t take it any more. In that regard, it’s more active than the UN ever could be.
Throughout Gui’s sophomore full-length, he demonstrates impressive growth as a producer. All of the tracks on the aptly named Take My Breath Away are smoother, punchier, and more fleshed out than those on Chromophobia. Yet, they retain all the minimal, bouncy beats, and bittersweet, distorted melodies that made his debut so charming within each densely orchestrated soundscape here. It may be called minimal techno, but Boratto’s subtle motivic development takes you farther than you ever would have thought a 4/4 beat could. The odd bit of lyrics and guitar have been flawlessly integrated into his whimsical shoegaze production. This record is simply a cut above.
Suffice to say, Gui’s time has arrived. Critics practically did back flips for Kompakt labelmate, The Field’s From Here We Go Sublime in 2007. I don’t see a single reason why they shouldn’t do the same for Gui’s latest. M83 and James Holden would probably agree.