Music Reviews
The Summer Soundtrack EP by Various Artists – Leftroom
Presumably named with a hint of irony, as its entry into the public arena will probably be – in the UK certainly – in the middle of an early onset winter, Leftroom’s latest is nonetheless a soundtrack to warmer months. Matt Tolfrey’s imprint’s been one of the UK’s stalwarts in house for six years now, and while it’s been a relatively austere twenty-five releases over this time, it’s not diminished the label’s impact on the scene. With a strong 2011 already in swing, their latest EP is another gathering of artists old and new, all with something individual to say.
Huxley and Russo’s opener, Don’t Understand, begins like a throwback early 00s special; light keys, warm sub, strings and looped vocal, but there’s some punch in the bridge that gives it a modern twist. Tolfrey teams up with Maher Daniel for It Ain’t Over Yet, a superb cut that riffs on a male spoken vocal and insistent chord pattern, building pressure throughout. Gavin Herlihy’s rich vein of form continues apace on With Me, a deep number that’s full of deft sonic touches, and an underlying energetic groove. Julian Perez follows, with Tromaville Rocks, an understated rolling houser that blends a murmured vocal with shuffling percs, and closes with Jack Riley’s Teach This, a piano-led, atmospheric cut that is aimed squarely at the uplifting small hours. Quality.
El Ceibo EP by Andrea Fiorito – Barraca Music
Baracca Music’s output over its first baker’s dozen of releases has been a measured spread, careful that its reputation matches that of its legendary big brother – the club – and selecting artists that will lend skill and character, rather than a tried and tested set of big names. Italian Andrea Fiorito is the latest in a line that’s previously taken in Andrew Grant, Karm, Los Updates and Ricardo Villalobos. With previous releases on Cynosure, Haunt and Get Physical, his own take on house and techno is a perfect fit for this late summer EP.
The extravagantly-named I Am The Awaker. I Am The Aliver. I Am The One! manages to stand up to such chutzpah, its cascading chords ebbing back and forth in a sea of fx, the snare ushering in a move to the low end. The percs are crisp, and there’s pace and power twinned with subtle melodies. Second in line, We Will Continue To Be Who We Want To Be. We Will Never Stop. is deeper and underpinned by a warm bassline groove, with 909 fills and pads that take it back to the 90s. Be Humble For You Are Made Of Earth. Be Noble For You Are Made Of Stars. weighs in with a wandering piano riff, paired with lush keys and looped glitchy tweaks, and digi-only This Is My Valencia And You Will Not Take It Away From Me is a latin-infused houser with a meandering melody that rounds off an impressive EP. If you can get past the titles, there’s four great house tracks here.
