Montreal producer The Mole stakes an impressive
claim to the legacy of Moodymann and Theo Parrish, two storied apostates who
approach house music from all sorts of unorthodox angles and with all kinds of
suspicious leers. Nothing in The Mole's method proves quite so dramatic, but on As High As The Sky,
he has a similar knack for atmosphere—for house as an accumulation of
sashaying accents and sprayed suggestions as much as recognizably danceable
beats. "Ain't The Way It's Supposed To Be" stirs bubbles into a modest mix of
patient kick-drums, gulping gospel vocals, and disco percussion, while "Alice,
You Need Him" draws on an insistent science-fiction synth figure put into place
with a certain folksy charm. The album's best moments blur the distinction
between what it means to simmer and slam, as when "Hey Girl (I Feel So Good)"
gathers a monumental head of steam without sounding like it's changing much at
all. Call it another win for the magisterial powers of repetition, or maybe
just affirmation that the formal makeup of house music has a lot to offer
still.