Tom demac

EP Review: Obstructing The Light - Tom Demac

It hasn't been long since Tom Demac's last release, a collaboration with up and coming Manchester band Silverclub, was giving me dark and dubby dreams of a hot and humid summer. Here we are with a follow-up, this time on Glass Table.

Given my experience of Demac's production work was previously confined to a collaborative effort I was surprised to hear this release. Silverclub's Duncan Edward Jones is on hand for the title track but there is an apparent pop element to not just that one but two of the tracks that make up the EP.

And so vocals weave in-and-out of themselves in a a swirling melange of melodies on 'Four Leaves Right'. It builds to a storming, sweaty climatic middle-third of fuzzy bass and cried vocals - it is just a slight disappointment that from here Demac seems unsure what to do next, the track hanging around for another three-minutes when it has already reached its peak.

'Obstructing The Light' itself feels woozy, a slow hot druggy trudge that feels like energy being sapped away by the time those vocals from Jones turn up. It's a soundtrack to hazy days of sunshine and losing your way and so whilst it won't feature in many peak time DJ sets it captures a disconcertingly paranoid mood.

Finally 'For The Love Of Grey' applies the same formula to a more focused minimal house structure. The same feeling of sunstroke and unease remains but the vocals are (mostly) absent, leaving a loosely structured cacophony of percussion and disjointed piano chords. Its conflicted feeling transcends the rest of the EP to create the real stand out moment of this release.

Obstructing The Light is released through Glass Table on Monday.

EP Review: Holiday's Over EP - Tom Demac vs. Silverclub

Canada's My Favorite Robot seem to be having a bit of a run at the moment with a series of strong releases over recent months. This one just might be my favourite.

The hot humid summer sun seems to have finally descended on London as I write this and perversely the dubby electro of 'Holiday's Over' feels very appropriate. This release sees producer Tom Demac team up with Manchester band Silverclub to create something loose feeling electronic record.

And you can tell this is a band rather than just a producer, the two original tracks here sounding much more like songs than you get from the usual dance releases on twelves. 'Holiday's Over' has layers of bass and synth that create a heavy, tangible feel whilst Silverclub vocalist Duncan Edward Jones' vocal croons his way to a broken heart. 'Throat Trip' takes things up a notch, a melange of massive Prince-style drums and the vocals of a sexual-aggressor.

Both tracks have a slightly oppressive muggy feel to them that isn't entirely inappropriate given the weather. The synth heavy funk feel combines with the dark lyrical tone to great effect too - like early Nine Inch Nails but without the obviousness of the guitars and the screaming angst.

Two remixes are on offer alongside the originals. Buzzin Fly's Flowers & Sea take 'Holiday's Over' to an even more dubby place that retains the vocals but focuses more on the spooky ambient atmospherics and drums. The Tiger Stripes mix of 'Throat Trip' shuffles to a slightly tighter, more minimal groove that makes it the most dance floor friendly track here - it isn't quite as catchy as the original but it creates a nice tight twist on it all the same.

Holiday's Over is released on My Favourite Robot Records on 28 May on 12" and 4 June digitally.