Frits Wentink -Wolf019 Reviewed

Frits Wentink & Felix Lenferink, two sides of the same coin, is a name we hope to see more of in the next few years. Despite providing the total output, so far, for the small but beautiful Triphouse Rotterdam imprint, releasing his Bouree EP on Ramps Fourth Wave offshoot and remixing Marshall Jeffersons seminal Mushrooms for Shifting Peaks, the young Dutchman has remained, timidly, in the shadows. Hopefully this will change now with his mus-cular (shout out to all the zoology/environmental science crew!) EP for Wolf Music, a label that has done such sterling work in the last few years bringing attention to a small but increasingly ubiquitous stable of producers.  

Starting the EP, Mouse is a big showy number utilizing the big bumping house sound that the label is most known for. With its brassy bassline wobbling along like the jelly underneath the whipped cream of lazy claps and intermittent hihats it provides a sweet start to the whole affair. Wentink plays with the various elements, stacking and rummaging them around, maintaining a dash of steppy swagger to the whole affair.

As we go further into the hole the real long term damage is done on the flip, with both tracks scampering along with great cheekiness and humour. Mice is on an acutely upbeat and wonky tip, with its slightly broken rhythm, stop-start motion and uplifting but subtle stabs maintaining the shuffled, Gorgonzola sniffing ambience. A much more woozier, even drunken, finish to the 12, Mices accentuates the heady shuffle that plays throughout this EP. A muted clarion dominates the main hip-swinging section, denoting the light-footed deftness that successful raiders of cupboards and barns have, and when the track wants to wind down it does so with a tangy series of chords.

While the track titles may evoke a cheesy expectation its served in small portions, allowing the rich flavour and quirky nature of Wentink/Lenferink to shine through. With a series of remixes and EPs in the offing, the tail-end of 2013 will surely see the young Utrecht native rising to further prominence.  

Joe Jones