EP Review: The Hatch Series - Various Artists

The Hatch Series is the first in a planned annual compilation series from DhARMA, a new label that has already impressed with a couple of their releases this year.

Made up of five tracks from five different artists it's a relatively eclectic set showcasing DhARMA's progressive approach to A&R. The EP opens with a blues-influenced IDM track from Kyson. There is a little hint of Nicolas Jaar to 'Drifting On By', with a soulful vocal and a slow, textured feel to the production work.

Atiko Misaki's 'Do You Remember Me' is all gentle piano chords and relaxed trumpet, pleasingly jazzy and left-field and even slower than the EP's opening. In contrast 'Midnight Travellers' by Tibalt is a little more upbeat, a striking gothic-electro-prog-opera piece. It may be a little less universal than Misaki's track but the pounding drum-set snares and eighties synths aren't without their charms.

Next up is Silly Rabbit with 'Subsonic Sunset'. It is a mildly Germanic glitch-pop piece, full of big ambient noises and synthetic drums but it never quite seems to get to its destination for me..

The EP is rounded out with 'Beta' by Skai Nine, and it's a pretty good summary of where DhARMA ultimately seem to have their heads as a label. It's experimental electronic music that manages to be greater than the sum of its parts, a whirling cacophony of gentle sounds that comes together to create a softly stuttering pop record. It concludes a short, interesting statement of intent with the first two tracks proving particularly enduring.

The Hatch Series is released on 1 October through DhARMA. Preview the release below through Soundcloud or pre-order from DhARMA here.

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:

Single Review: Edits - Sole Emsemble

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Edits - Sole Ensemble

A fairly mysterious release from an anonymous Bristol based producer here. Sole Ensemble isn't a DJ and therefore doesn't want people worrying about who he is - seems he'd much rather people focus on the music.

This (pretty much untitled) release features a couple of housed-up disco edits. First up is an edit of Brenda Watts' 'Who Needs A Love Like That'. It's minimal in approach, the looped chorus given lots of space whilst a shuffling rhythm provides backing. A chunky robotic bass line provides a layer of funk, creating a contemporary, stripped-back approach to disco.

On side-b we have an edit of a cover of Stevie Wonder's 'All I Do' entitled 'All For You'. I've not been able to identify which version the vocals here are taken from (and the press-release is very bare-bones) but the application is strong. Once again the track is stripped back but more of the vocal appears and as such it naturally feels more extravagant, layered with backing vocals and a complimentary bass line. It's a tight disco track kept to its minimum components but it packs a bit more soul than the a-side, perfect for pokey little bars and back rooms.

An unfussy release focused on delivering quality modern disco sounds, I like.

Album Review: Journey - Mario Basanov

Lithuania's Mario Basanov has released a number of spot on singles over the past couple of years and here he turns his hands to a full album for Needwant, Journey. It's that classic tricky territory - the house long-player, all 16-songs and 68-minutes worth.

His 'Lonely Days' track from last year regularly crops up when I'm picking favourite tracks for lazy sunny afternoons and so Journey has a lot of potential... Only it sadly never really manages to deliver.

Basanov takes the generous step of replacing the big singles 'We Are Child Of Love' and 'Lonely Days' with alternate, album versions. On a shorter album such as Merveille & Crosson's (who didn't take this step, presenting only 30% new material on their album) it might be a wise move. Here it feels stingy if anything - where are the big moments and why is the album being denied it's tent poles? 'We Are Child Of Love' loses its thundering bass and tech-heavy percussion, resulting in a more cautious, subtle take that lacks a little of the gravity of the original.

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Journey - Mario Basanov

In comparison to what he has done to 'Lonely Days' however, the version of 'We Are Child Of Love' seems pretty acceptable. Originally a beach-bound Balearic gem, here 'Lonely Days' closes out the album in the form of a slow, Prince-inspired ballad. As a b-side or a bonus track this might be fine but here, as the only version on the album, it feels like a con. It simply lacks all of the subtle disco of the original.

These changes do Basanov no favours as there aren't any natural replacements for these down-played high-points. Mario's willingness to drop the BPM and play things slow should be commended but it feels like at times he goes too far - the result plodding rather than laid back, and lacking the charm of his earlier, sunnier work. Guest spots are wheeled out to provide vocals but a lot of these feel like standard album-filling fodder, not providing extra dimension that a decent collaboration can.

There are a few moments that survive however. The gentle percussion of 'Slip Away' gives the track a delicate, emotional feel reminiscent of the use of steel drums on the latest xx album. 'High School' leaves out the guest vocals and instead delivers a tight piece of electronic funk, complete with thick, chunk bass, handclaps and vocal shouts.

Basanov is at his best when a bit more left-field, pushing into funky, relaxed  sunshine territory. Aside from the slightly jazzy 'Mes Souvenirs' and two frustratingly good interludes there just isn't enough of that here, and yet there is too much of everything else. There is talent in Journey, it's just buried beneath 45-minutes' worth of desire to create an album.

Journey is released through Needwant tomorrow, available to pre-order on MP3 from Amazon.co.uk [affiliate link].

Album Review: Endangered Species - No Regular Play

Greg Paulus has a habit of turning up on some of my favourite tracks, frequently lending his trumpet work to give electronic music a element of sophistication. Here he teams up with Nick DeBruyn to release the duo's debut album as No Regular Play on Wolf + Lamb.

Paulus and DeBruyn met when they were just eight years old, gradually bonding over a a love of A Tribe Called Quest, Mile Davis and John Coltrane. Those influences may be writ-large across Endangered Species' length but this is still an album that is unmistakably their own. Paulus' trumpet frequently punctuates warm, electronic beats and there is a clear manifesto in support of all things funky here, with bouncy analogue bass a-plenty. It's a refreshing album from start to finish.

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Endangered Species - No Regular Play

Jumping off with the thick and luxurious 'Birdfeathers' Endangered Species makes a seductive entrance. Gentle piano, wandering trumpets and warm chords give things a sunny outlook. The album increases and decreases the pace as required and so the title track is a more taught, upbeat piece, snappy spoken vocals creating melding with a heavy, funky sound.

'Nameless' is infatuated, a laid-back vocal serenading whilst a tidy percussive backing cements a base for a layered chord sequence. It's an entrancing moment, warm and invigorating, and over all too briefly.

There are clear jazz, soul and funk influences throughout but these are usually blended together and combined with new styles, as on 'Keep It Right'. This plays a snappy, soulful trumpet line against a series of pads, eventually creating an enjoyable interplay between the brass and the bass.

Aside from warm, laid back electronic music some of my favourite sounds are soul and jazz. Endangered Species blends these together to make something convincing and joyful, providing Wolf + Lamb with their strongest album release yet.

Endangered Species is out now, available on CD and MP3 from Amazon.co.uk [affiliate link].