Miguel Campbell 'Memoirs' review

Memoirs: records of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. The title alone for Miguel Campbell's third album is a hint at the personal experiences he's drawn from to create a emotionally-churning electronic LP for his own label Outcross Records.

Far past his 2012 chart-topping smash 'Something Special', a record which defined the Leeds native for long enough, Campbell has steadily been releasing house music with bite and substance. Producing so regularly that you can tell that his true calling lies here, he doesn't just release music to boost his profile and keep his DJ stature in shape. Memoirs is another testament to this.

In both opening track 'Chemistry' and the following 'All Cried Out', there's a heavy French touch influence with the twanging basslines, low pass filters and echoing female vocals. 

'Knightmare' runs with a darker bassline, not dissimilar to the more tech-lead stuff Campbell's put out on Hot Creations and VIVa Music over the years. Brimming with more attitude than its predecessors, it shifts the direction of the album. Likewise with 'Jamie's Song''s punchy drums that are layered with the stabbing house synths. 

The album is rounded off by 'Stay Alive', framed by squelchy synths and the chanting of the track's title, the more upbeat offering appears to be a look at his future in house music - positive and experimental, it's proof that there's not really much Campbell can't do when it comes to electronic production. 

The album's subtle approach leaves you yearning for a bigger punch, but that's not what this album is about. Overall its a melancholic easy rider, laidback and rich with emotion. Only one or two tracks would be able to make their way into peak time club sets. 

Described by Miguel Campbell himself as "an album which encompassed the different emotions that I have experienced throughout my time in house music". It's a slow burner, but a good one at that.

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