★★★★☆
Formed originally as a quartet a decade ago, Brazil-based duo Digitaria — Daniela Caldellas and Daniel Albinati — present their third album, Night Falls Again, at a moment when there’s an appetite for dance-oriented songs that don’t appeal to the lowest common denominator.
In the same way that The Daou took dance-pop to a heady new level in the ’90s, Digitaria have honed their own evolving signature, though arguably without the eroticism engrained in much of the aforementioned twosome’s body of work.
Producing music for a multi-tasking, multi-screen generation, Digitaria know how to get your attention. Vocals are one of the most notable weapons in their musical arsenal: Caldellas’ voice is subtle and engaging without ever becoming too overpowering (“White Desert,” “Golden Leaves”), while Albinati uses his to take the party to the next level and add context (“1000 Friends”). And when it’s time to get down and dirty, “Shopping Centre Soundtrack” tips its hat to the influential sounds of Chicago and Detroit without getting too caught up in history.
Along their musical journey, Caldellas and Albinati get by with a little help from their friends on Night Falls Again: Clarian North fronts the infectious “Favourite Addiction”; Leeds-based producer and Hot Creations label mate Denney joins for the sexy, synth-tastic gem “Love Feeling,” and Argentinia’s Shall Ocin, of Ellum Audio, is featured on “Control.”
With an album that ticks all of the boxes without sacrificing its integrity, it wouldn’t be hyperbole to say Digitaria are poised for even greater things.