EP Review: High U Gonna Feel - Den Ishu

Previously unknown to me, Den Ishu has just released a really nice four track EP on Supernature.

Title track 'How U Gonna Feel' drops some heavy funk, a hard, substantial bass line keeping things moving amongst tweaking strings and the odd flourish of live bass. This is a track that instantly feels very, very close - the drums high in the mix and the whole thing incredibly crisp. It's a pretty irresistible start to the EP.

'Your Experience' may be a little less immediate, but it's just as good - a Detroit groove builds whilst a clipped vocal harps on about the importance of 'the experience'. It's clearly a dance floor piece but it does it pretty well. 'Say The Word' continues the progression - it's harder and more introspective than either other cut, synths swirling claustrophobically, holding one pretty much continuous warbling melody line for about a third of the song. With nice percussive breaks and plenty of high-end it once again proves Ishu's chops.

Avatism turns in a seriously deep remix of 'How U Gonna Feel' that focuses on a few key elements and throws in some piano jazz for good measure. It's very dark and creepy but also seriously catchy, dropping a massive bass line halfway through that you can't help but move to.

A really consistent but varied release.

High U Gonna Feel is out now on Supernature.

EP Review: What You Do - Miguel Puente

Image source: Resident AdvisorFollowing on from last week's ode to John Talabot here is a bit more warm dance music from Barcelona for you.

Johnny White and Nitin's No. 19 Music have recently had releases from Louie Fresco and the highly in demand Maceo Plex but now it's the turn of Barcelona based Mexican Miguel Puente. All three tracks here feature a slightly retro sound that harks back to late eighties house, albeit with a fairly progressive edge. Cue bouncy bass lines and a minimal approach to production that relies very little on anything beyond drums, bass and vocals.

All three tracks here are relatively similar - they could almost be different takes on the same record. Title track 'What You Do' has a hard bouncing bass line but despite being the title track it is probably the least interesting. 'It's Been So Long' has some melodic keys and feels perfect for those moments just after the sun has dipped below the surface. 'Save Each Other' is best though, with the same heavy bass as the other two tracks but some massive echoing drums and some massive reverb - it's well worth a listen.

What You Do is out now on No. 19 Music.

EP Review: The Wrap Around EP - Detroit Swindle

Detroit Swindle are Amsterdam based Lars Dales and Maarten Smeets. This, The Wrap Around EP, represents Saints & Sonnets first release since Ethyl & Huxley's popular '3 Feet High' last year.

'The Wrap Around' itself is a soulful house track. The feel is pretty straight up with warm washes and a male vocal creating summer vibe - the press release likens it to Detroit, hence the name I would imagine, but if 'The Wrap Around' inhabits any city it's a fictional one smack bang in between the motor city and Chicago. The drums and echoing atmosphere have a feel of techno about them whilst the bass and vocal are pretty much straight up house.

Unfortunately 'The Wrap Around' feels a little lost - it's not a great house track and has none of the cold mechanical soul of great techno. It seems to want to be liked just a little too much. Much better is second cut 'Pain Tomorrow' - more obviously Detroit inspired, it's a tight minimal track that retains some funk but feels considerably more sincere, a loft party, clinking-glasses, trainers-squeaking across floorboards kind of vibe. It could easily have fallen out of fellow Detroit worshippers Motor City Drum Ensemble's record box. A good thing in my book.

As Pattern Select, Milton Jackson and Mathias Schober offer up a remix of 'Pain Tomorrow' for the final track here. The first three minutes are frankly nothing but an overly long DJ lead-in but from there it gets more interesting, stripping the original back and adding some thick, heavy drum and darker synth work whilst keeping some of the space and atmosphere of the original.

The Wrap Around EP is release on Saints & Sonnets on 7 March.

EP Review: Modern Heat EP - MAM

Image source: DJ MagMiguel Campbell and Matt Hughes' new EP as MAM is as tight as a nut. Slick disco stabs, funky MJ style yelps and heavy baselines abound. Take Metro Area and give it a French Touch twist, serve in a long glass over ice.

What you have here is a four-track EP of funk and disco inspired house and, well, it's inspired. 'Modern Heat' is filtered heavy disco funk, whilst 'Crushed Ice' is sleazy eighties funk that channels pure Discovery-era Daft Punk.

The guitar work on the latter yearns for someone to dance with and whilst it may be a little slow for the main room this is perfect for the more discerning bars out there. As if to answer your prays 'Crushed Ice' also gets a remix that just gives it a bit more oomph. Perfect.

The final offering, 'Sunset Funk' is pretty much placed between the other two tracks, mixing the filtered disco of 'Crushed Ice' with the squelching synth funk work of 'Modern Heat'.

With no bells or whistles this EP pretty much just focuses on doing one thing well. And do just that it does.

BP x

Modern Heat EP is released on Fina on 19 February, available to pre-order from Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link].

EP Review / Download: Sweat Mode - Ghost Mutt

The world seems to have gone a bit R&B crazy recently, with indie kids swooning over the Weeknd's rich, slow and dark production style and warts and all lyrical style. I've never been much of a fan of the genre aside from the odd track with particularly robotic production (Aaliyah's 'Try Again', Brandy's 'What About Us?’) but something is definitely happening. Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy totally changed my perception of what he was capable of as an artist, the confessional lyrics laced with self-loathing made the album an uncomfortable one to listen to. It's a style Drake seems to have been running with - his last album Take Care is full of moody, slow tracks and his staggering hashtag-styled continuous rap bursts.

Ghost Mutt may not be caught up in the same rat hole of self-doubt as all of the above but Sweat Mode nevertheless points a way forward for R&B. This is a very brief EP at just 12 minutes but it features four short jams that play up the best thing about modern R&B: there's no need to hurry. These songs may be short but they aren't fast - you've just got four sensual workouts that meld vocal snatches with echoing bass and space. It's feels like a natural meeting point between electro, dub-step and R&B and I can't help but feel impressed.

Stream it above - it is definitely worth checking out and available as a pay what you want download from Donky Pitch (in other words free if you are tight).

BP x