German tech-house production duo Booka Shade have returned with their fourth full-length studio album. While not perfunctory by any means, the album is an unsurprising affair; unlikely to gain or lose many fans for such a well-established act. Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, veterans of the Frankfurt electronic dance music scene and co-owners of the Get Physical imprint, have stated that the creation of this album was driven by a desire for, “more club beats…more emotion…more melodies and more strength.” This impulse has not resulted in a stylistic about-face, but the album does reflect the group’s continued progression from the more minimal, trancey style of their early production.

More! gets off to a more enervating start than previous Booka Shade albums with the playful “Havana Sex Dwarf,” followed by their solo interpretation of “Donut,” a track previously released as a co-production with M.A.N.D.Y. Things really get moving with stand-out “Regenerate.” Beginning with an eerie vocal sample and a druggy, dubby bass; the listener gets the impression that this will be a atmospheric mood piece. Then, the kick hits and the atmospheric vocals layer and rise up in the mix. This gradual build eventually leads to a massive, club-igniting breakdown. Booka Shade also seem to think that “Regenerate” marks the album’s high point, as it is being offered free from their website.

Unfortunately, this rousing success is short-lived. “The Door” begins with a laconic wobbling synth, which is soon joined by some wiry 808 drums, but nothing really comes together until the breakdown, which doesn’t feel connected to the rest of the track. The whole thing feels a little underbaked and anti-climatic when juxtaposed with the preceding “Regenerate.” “Teenage Spaceman” marks another winning tech-house monster, followed by a rare collaboration with a vocalist. “Divine” finds them working with pioneering Swiss electronic duo, Yello (probably best known for 1985 hit single “Oh Yeah,” as featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). While this song is an enjoyable diversion, and it is nice to hear them working with a group that undeniably had a large influence on their development, it fails to grow into anything more than an interesting aside. Dieter Meier’s instantly recognizable baritone speak-singing is a welcome addition, but in the end the track’s arrangement falls in the cracks between patient club fare and quickly-paced pop material, never rising above the level of novelty.

Following a few more place-holder club tracks, prominent vocals return on “Bad Love,” this time provided by Chelonis, a member of the Get Physical roster. The vocals start out secondary to a powerful bubbling bass synth, but really come into their own at the breakdown, followed by outpouring of prominent leads. This marks the most optimistic and emotional point on the record, although dark underpinnings soon reemerge and dominate as the track fades into “No Difference.” The dark momentum that could have been gained coming out of “Bad Love” is squandered completely and the album fades into oblivion on the back of a harmless pair of inoffensive trifles.

As was the case with 2008's The Sun & The Neon Light, More!'s weakest moments come when compromises are made in the name of cohesiveness and variation. Booka Shade truly excel at making material ready for the dancefloor, as evidenced by a string of the decades’ most recognizable and loved house tracks, but flounder when trying to transform themselves into a headphone ready act. Despite these weaknesses, the high points of More! make it well worth a listen. Here’s hoping that, in the future, they refocus on producing the stellar singles they have proven themselves with in the past. The album is not the native medium for electronic dance music, a genre designed around the club and 12” singles, and More! struggles when Booka Shade find themselves forcing a square peg into a round hole. Luckily, several of those square pegs are some of the strongest examples of the genre you’ll find, there’s just too much filler.

Track List:
1. Havana Sex Dwarf
2. Donut (Interpretation)
3. Regenerate
4. The Door
5. Teenage Spaceman
6. Divine
7. Scaramanga
8. L.A.tely
9. Bad Love
10. No Difference
11. This Is Not Time