The latest release from Needwant is a slab of electronic blues crafted by South London producer Alex Warren under the name Kiwi. Featuring Amy Skippings on vocals "Mayfly" gently bubbles with a stark and stripped back disco sound and featured on the recent Poolside Sounds Volume II compilation.
The original mix is a laid back track with sophisticated, well paced percussion, loads of space and some perfectly applied strings. Skippings' vocals are needy yet classy and irresistible - wanting to open up yet casually aloof. Kiwi's sound takes in a variety of styles across disco, funk and house but this track is soul and blues more than anything else. It is also pretty brilliant.
Mixes come from Compuphonic and Urulu. Compuphonic's version stays true to the atmosphere of the original, playing maudlin organs over a multi-layered mix. Urulu's mix is much deeper, a techy dub with a robotic bass line - it's built to move the crowd and stands as a dark and twisted track in its own right, but loses much of what I love about the original. Compuphonic also serves up a lush instrumental 'Stringapella' that keeps all of the sweat and tears of the original.
Mayfly is out now on Needwant, available from Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link] or to stream on Spotify below: