Rendezvous: Another Round Please

All instrumental music is not jazz and some might argue electronica isn't music at all as much as it is the ultimate triumph of machine over man. To be certain, much of electronica, trance, house and trip-hop is little more than synthesized beeps, bleeps and burps over a drum track as it whizzes by your ears leaving little to no lasting impression.

Rendezvous is a little bit more enterprising than your ordinary techno band. Itai Simon and Hagai Izenberg blend electronica and jazz to create a fusion that sounds a bit like both genres and nothing like either one. The duo is based in Israel and has utilized social media to maximize its profile, with over 22,000 fans on Facebook and 1,000,000 views on its YouTube Channel.

The fact that Rendezvous plays analog instruments such as bass guitars and the live drums that kick in on "Blues In Space" is proof positive it inspires far more than simply making mindlessly disposable dance music, and confirms that Simon and Izenberg are serious musicians who desire to be taken seriously. Among the acts from which they take inspiration are Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, Massive Attack and Medeski Martin & Wood.

Which doesn't mean you can't dance to Rendezvous; with grooves that dig this deep it starts with nodding your head and ends up tapping your toes.

Another Round Please avoids the cold and bloodless sound of too many synthesizer-centric bands with the warmth of Oden Zahavi's string arrangement on "Adagio For Tiesto" and Simon's bass and guitars meshing comfortably with Izenberg's keyboards. The sizzling "Egypt" and the thumping "C Sharp" are propulsive and innovative, without sacrificing genuine musicianship, which may be the duo's most impressive accomplishment.

Without sacrificing a thing, Rendezvous provides ample evidence that it is indeed possible to be an innovator in a field full of sound- alikes. Those who are open-minded will be rewarded by Simon and Izenberg's ability to create music that engages the brain even as it moves the feet. Another Round Please of Rendezvous—and the sooner the better.

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