Benassi Bros. “Pumphonia” (Studio Album Review)

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If I had asked what dance style I most closely associate with the zeros’ club culture, I probably would have named several musical flows. One hundred percent, I would include electro house in that list. In turn, if then askers asked about my favorite albums of this style, then “Pumphonia” would be among the first answers.

I want to explain at once for the artists, as their surname will cause a direct parallel with immortal Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction” for the vast majority of people. The idea for this mega-hit, by the way, was born in collaboration with Alle Benassi. And yes, as you can already guess, the guys are relatives. To be more exact – they are cousins.

Click “Next” to savor other compositions from the album – all songs included in this playlist. So you can listen to “Pumphonia” online for free. Bon appetite 🙂

However, Benny released the previously mentioned single by himself. But this time, the record is already officially a joint creation of the Benassi brothers. Alle is quite a solid composer, having even written a few hits for Chris Brown and Madonna in the early 2010s.

So the album was recorded by the masters, who had destined to turn their works into a real sweet thing. The stuffing, without exaggeration, turned out to be extremely tasty. The cover did not come bad either because the electronic music world already considered the guys the flagships of their craft by the time the long play came out. And how could it be otherwise after the presentation of “Satisfaction” to the world?

Tracklist
Sound
Songs
Zest of the Album
In Total

Tracklist

Sound

So, a year later, the guys pumped up the “drilling” sound they had invented, adding new voices to the beloved bass. Also, the kick has become a little softer, although it had not felt immediately. I also noticed that the tracks’ emphasis has shifted to the harmony of the low-frequency instruments and the lead-synths.

The rest is the same old Hypnoptica. Hats, claps, and other basic components of the compositions remained almost unchanged. Most importantly, the energy had still saved, which allows you to relax and dance.

Songs

This approach to production fed the brothers for another three years. I remember that “Hit My Heart” was tearing up various music ratings until the end of 2006. That, by the way, was two years after the release of “Pumphonia.” Moreover, at the end of the 2000s, Benny Benassi would invent another fantastic sound. But excuse me, friends, we’ll talk about it in one of my future materials.

In the meantime, let’s go back to 2004. It’s hard to find a young person on the street who hasn’t heard Benassi’s name. We can listen to the famous saw on every second stereo. Italians, if I may say so, rule the club scene. Every track is an unequivocal hit. I can give such a review to the first work from the long play. This one is “Illusion.” Here I like most how the vocals had combined with the looping pads. It’s like they take me to an evening dance floor at the summer seacoast…

Next comes the cheeky “Turn Me Up” followed by the enigmatic “Rumenian.” Then our ears meet the gorgeous “Get Better,” which climaxes with a synth arpeggio technique that still fascinates me. It’s also used on “Tether” by Chvrches from Scotland. I’m a fan of this band since 2013. A note to audiophiles, these guys play great synthpop.

But let’s go back to “Get Better.” It’s probably my favorite track on the album, along with the great “I Feel So Fine.” I consider the beginning of it to be close to the benchmark of the 2000s EDM music. I’m writing these lines, and I suddenly feel that I want to put that very familiar melody as my phone’s ringtone.

It seems to be nothing special. I could make such a musical arrangement myself in FL Studio in a ridiculous amount of time. However, the “all brilliant ideas are simple” rule applies here. It doesn’t always take a long time to make something cool. An unreal atmosphere of “I Feel So Fine” fills the listener’s mind and beckons to enjoy it.

The songs “Memory of Love” and “The Liar” clearly stand out from the disk’s general sound. The first one has the unusual groove of the melody, and the second one is more like an electronic “slow jam.”

Separately, I want to touch on the remix of the song “I’m Not Twenty” by Alizee. It is not part of any Benassi album because the Frenchwoman owns it. But it sounds the closest stylistically to “Pumphonia” and is worth checking out.

What’s more, now that we’re talking about remixes from Benny, there’s no way not to mention Fisherspooner’s “Never Win.” It is a royal release, which is even better than the original. Such a unique phenomenon can only compare to Todd Terry’s legendary remix of “Missing” by Everything But The Girl.

Yeah, folks, that’s how it goes. You start talking to me about the 2000s and Benassi, and the topic smoothly turns to the 1990s house music. I can’t help it. I love to draw parallels on my favorite topics, like drawing a tree with many branches. Everyone is so different, but they have so much in common.

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Zest of the Album

The best praise for the record would be to emphasize to listeners that there are no “in-between” compositions. All of them are interesting in their own way, and that’s wonderful. After all, because of “Satisfaction,” many good tracks from “Hypnoptica” were forced to retreat into the shadows.

“Pumphonia” has no leader. The long play is masterfully chained together with quality compositions, each of which can equally consider itself the title track. Because of this, the disc is listenable in one breath. There is no desire to switch tracks to get to the desired bestseller among the other songs.

I think this is an important point. Because before, now, and in the future, there are sure to be musicians who think in terms of “wait for the punchline, there will be a cool chorus.” The same goes for albums. It’s sad, what else can I say.

For example, it’s very different on “Hysteria” by Def Leppard and “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. There, they pay equal respect to all the compositions and their parts. That’s why they are one of the best-selling records in music history.

In Total

The Benassi Bros. have undoubtedly created a significant album. For their era, indeed. After all, the 2000s could not be the same without this electronic saw. At least, for avid music lovers. I want to talk about “Pumphonia” more and more, but it is necessary to know the right time to finish.

So thank you, friends, for your attention. See you very soon. In the meantime, I remind you that the zeros haven’t passed. They just moved to Smart2000s. Good luck!