The garage revival seems to be going from strength to strength of late, with seemingly an ever growing number of DJs bashing out numbers influenced by the best bits of the 90s sound and steering well clear of the dross.
This new EP from Lars Dales operating under his brand new Lars Vegas moniker comes on the Large Music label and definitely takes its cue from the (original) US form of Garage that came out of New York's Paradise Garage.
This title track has more than a hint of early Masters At Work in the slightly tinny soul vocals with cut-up sample sections and skippy drum beats. It really captures the spirit of some of those old garage records - the kind of record you can imagine kids dancing to as their sneakers squeak across the floorboards, treble-heavy production and cymbal crashes filling the room.
The other original track on this release, Break Me Down, is more spectral, complete with looped string-synths and liquid-like keys. It references similar material but has just a tiny bit more of a deep house sound and a more chilled-out feel. The EP is rounded off with a remix of Break Me Down from duo Homework, who stay faithful to the deep house stylings of the original track but give it more of an upfront edge, transporting the retro sounds for a more up-to-date arena.
The Game EP is out on 25 March through Large Music.