Tourist - Live from Corsica Studios

Tourist
Live from Corsica Studios
2018
Spotify

I have some rules I like to follow when I write for this blog. I don't like to repeat myself, reviewing the same songs over and over, I don't like albums that are too short, albums that are greatest hits and typically live albums are all excluded. I am making an exception here, because Tourist puts out so little music and I love to review him. This live album Live from Corsica Studios sounds like it was recorded in the smallest space possible, people crammed in and Tourist absolutely going for it. I know this scene, I saw Tourist perform at Coachella a couple years back and it was transformative, one of the best sets of my festival. This record captures that experience pretty damn well.  It is put together like one consistent set, no gaps anywhere and from the jump it cooks. You can feel the housey and techno vibes peppered throughout, with dance always at the center. The songs retain their original spirit but He also allows himself plenty of room to remix and change them. A lot of the tracks come off of 2016's U with a few tracks coming from some of his other EPs. Yet Tourist is able to make them feel new and fresh here, giving new life. The ambient crowd noise is so deeply small room techno that it feels like a warm blanket. There is a live energy that Tourist is able to get at his shows that is  really unrivaled and He is able to capture it here. A frenetic energy that ends with you dancing your ass off.

With Tourist though it isn't just about how hard you can dance, there is more to his music than that even though sometimes it lands there. There is this electronica element of using electronic music that comes through extremely clear.  It is like this deep journey you go on with him that is vivid and palpable. His drops never disappoint, taking you to a deep level than you ever thought the song could go. Of course to be fair this is essentially a live version of his greatest hits, so He is going to throw all the best at us, but the amount of changes He has made to these tunes makes it worth a listen at least. "Run" the album's closer take the cake and blasts you out onto a nine minute sound exploration. Live from Corsica Studios is one of the better live albums I have heard in awhile and manages to capture the essence of what Tourist does at his shows. Be sure not to miss this one.

8.0 out of 10