EP Review: The Break Out EP - Inland Knights

Inland Knights' new EP focuses on the kind of funky tech influenced house they've made their name with. It's an unfunny release so you'll probably either like it or you won't.

The EP opens with 'Bounce', a jerky, stuttering minimal track. Trademark silky pads and a distorted electronic bass provide the funk here whilst a cut up hip-house vocal delivers a little cheeky attitude. The track's drum track is focused and tight, giving the whole track a close, intimate sound.

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The Break Out EP - Inland Knights

On side two 'Broken Up' is a little less immediate, a loser percussion line leading in an acid bass line. The whole thing is a feels like a tease for the heavily filtered sample dropped in the bridge though. With elements of brass and plenty of disco sass it's another back room track for electro influenced sets wanting to show off a little disco smarts. No bad thing in my book but it probably won't change your world, but it might make your weekend.

Miguel Campbell & Matt Hughes close out the release, turning in a remix of 'Broken Up' as MAM, an act familiar with their disco-house sound. It doesn't have the acid bass and minimal influence of the original and instead takes a more straight-up route. It's fine, but a little unremarkable - the tighter original the stronger version.

The Break Out EP is released through Outcross Records on 26 November on vinyl and 10 December digitally. Check out a preview of 'Bounce' below:

EP Review: The Inflated EP - Mr Ho

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The Inflated EP - Mr Ho

Opening with a tight four-four beat and layers of synth Mr Ho's new EP on Klasse Recordings aims but doesn't quite reach it's target.

Title track 'The Inflated' ironically remains a little flat... Beyond that initial beat it just doesn't really go anywhere. The bass line that drops mid-way through adds some colour but other than that it is a little clinical.

Much more interesting is 'No Explanation', which opens up with a tight, compact bassline and plenty of faux-vinyl crackle (presumably very annoying on actual vinyl...). This track is really made by the classic house bassline, building synths, big harsh drums and a spoken vocal. It is a track so obsessed with the past that it is difficult to take it at face value: wouldn't an actual classic be better? Still - the synth work and warm pads make it a decent box filler for DJs into this sort of proto-house sound.

The EP is rounded out with another take on 'No Explanation' - Nick Harris drops a mix that loses most of the charm of the original, leaving the vocal (fine) and bringing in a harsh, slightly bouncy bass line (less fine). Unfortunately it all feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.

The Inflated EP is out now on Klasse Recordings.

EP Review: Ain't Got The Time EP - Navid Izadi

You can tell a lot about Navid Izadi by with whom he associates - this EP on Double Standard features the soulful PillowTalk and he has recently worked with Deniz Kurtel and Soulclap.

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Ain't Got The Time EP - Navid Izadi

So much of the EP has the exactly the kind of simple yet well perfected electronic sound of someone like Kurtel but with a little more soulful flair. There is a bluesy mood through the whole EP and the vocals all play to that. The title track has a simple spongy analogue bass sound wrapped in slow moving synths and hard 808 electro rhythms together with a moody vocal. This is then followed by 'Lost In The Fold', which retains the muted tone but has a little bit of disco in its heart, the warm, soft electronic chords the perfect soundtrack to early mornings and driving through the dark. It is a well realised track and a highlight of the EP.

PillowTalk feature on two tracks - 'Too Long' and 'Follow The Leader'. Their vocal style is actually pretty similar to Navid's and so it isn't surprising to hear them here, though some vocoder work on the first of these tracks does lessen their usual impact a little. 'Too Long' is played a little more free form than much of the rest of this EP, with an extended middle-break. 'Follow The Leader' lets the vocals come through a little stronger and features a rap from Navid - it sounds like something Outkast would make with enough time locked in a Detroit nightclub, which is pretty good as far as I'm concerned. Deep, thick and strange - once again, it is a real highlight of this six track EP.

Ain't Got The Time EP is released through Double Standard on 12 November, available to pre-order on Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link].

You can stream 'Lost In The Fold' on Soundcloud below - there are a few more tracks on Navid's Soundcloud page:

EP Review: Wonder & Amazement - Grand Corporation

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​Wonder & Amazement - Grand Corporation

It has been a while since I've last checked out anything on Classic but this new EP from Grand Corporation grabbed me almost instantly.

Grand Corporation is a collaboration between Stevie Kotey of Bearfunk and Andy Meecham of both Chicken Lips and Emperor Machine. 'Wonder & Amazement' is one of those records that treads a really fine line between classic (lower-c) and contemporary. And you can clearly hear Meecham's hands all over this.

The vocal, from Jeremy Glen, feels like that of the kind of quintessential house  you don't hear all too often these days - soulful, uplifting but not over-done. The music slots itself in amongst the vocal-work without drowning it out too much and the result has some vintage house elements - much of the percussion has a distinctly old skool vibe, big rim-shots and rolling drums together with classic 808 sounding beats. The warm melody, devoid of any treble, feels very contemporary however and yet it still fits the track perfectly. The result is sophisticated without being pretentious.

There are a number of mixes across the physical twelve and the digital release. Deetron gives the original a pretty big boost, throwing in a tweaked version of the melody that builds in layers, adding a gnarly acid kick. The vocal still gets plenty of room in the main version of the mix though and it is a pretty faultless revision (there is a dub on the vinyl release).

Crooked Man is a pseudonym of Sheffield's DJ Parrot, of The All Seeing Eye fame, and he delivers a couple more mixes. Both are considerably deeper than the original and there are similarities between the two but it is the percussive 'Crooked Sky Mix' on the digital release that is the more essential.

The digital release also gets a cymbal heavy mix by Japan's Yosa and whilst it is pretty far abstracted from the original it isn't without charm, a warm, analogue sounding techno joint.

Given the break down of the mixes the digital version is definitely the better value here - whilst none of the mixes are without merit the digital release gets every one of the essential ones. It is like thought that this is one record that would sound beautiful on vinyl.

Wonder & Amazement is released through Classic next week on 12" and digital release, available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link].​

EP Review: Flash Of Light - Luca C & Brigante feat. Róisín Murphy

​It is hard not to have a big wobbly soft-spot for Róisín Murphy. She has been responsible for a number of great records over the years, both as part of Moloko and on her own, particularly excellent solo album Overpowered. A collaboration with Luca C & Brigante then was always going to be at least worth a listen, particularly on the back of the duo's recent run of EPs, a run which includes the brilliant Ali Love featuring 'Different Morals'.

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​Flash Of Light - Luca C & Brigante feat. Róisín Murphy

Murphy was apparently drawn to a collaboration after hearing Luca C & Brigante's production work, noting it's apocalyptic feeling, stating it was "as if I was listening to the sound of a party at the end of world". And it is that theme - of dancing through to the end, having one last chance to say goodbye - that this collaboration is based on.

The fact that the lyrics were inspired by the feeling Murphy took from hearing Luca C & Brigante's other productions shows. The atmosphere of this track, with its gentle, attentively programmed bass and fragile melody perfectly compliment the vocal. This is a record with heart and feeling running through its seam - it is typical of Róisín and she highlights the capabilities of her collaborators.

Diynamic label boss Solomun nudges things in a slightly deeper direction, layering some synth work and vocal edits to create a tasteful alternative version. Tale Of Us & Mind Against team up to make a harsher, tech-heavy version but it is unfortunately unsuccessful, lacking the sophistication of the original. The final remix comes courtesy of Blond:ish and is similarly tech-influenced and ultimately similarly unnecessary. Still, stick to the original and Solomun's versions and this is a package well worth grabbing.

​Flash Of Light is released through Southern Fried on 22 October, available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk on 12" and MP3 [affiliate links].

Check out a preview of the Solomun mix below: