Singles Club #18

Each week our very own Joe Europe  picks the tracks that have delighted his ear drums and are destined to go on to cause a stir. Joe (himself no slouch on a drum machine/turntable) puts to bed the notion that writing about music is akin to dancing about architecture – a wordsmith of great grace with a mighty fine ear to boot – we at R$N take note of his choices with quasi-religious fervor and we recommend wholeheartedly that you do too… This week Europe reaches the legal age to drink. To celebrate, he’s unearthed some beauties from Wasserfall, North Lake & Dense & Pika. 

Wasserfall Travelling While Sleeping EP (Greta Cottage Workshop)

Greta Cottage Workshop have always been a label worth watching out for but their last three releases have just gone from strength to strength. This time its Oslo based artist Wasserfall with a 4 tracker of high quality, beautifully mastered deepness.

The first track on the EP Will Stay is smooth, sweet, warm and sumptuous. The rounded analogue percussion is joined by pads so soft they make you want to melt. The effect of the whole is a track with enough movement and tempo to warm a dancefloor, or send you spiraling off into your headphones.

Then on to Flame which is atmospheric and slow burning. The whole track feels constrained, pent up, like theres a whole ocean of energy building up and bursting at the seams. Next up comes Came as it Went which at first feels almost conventional after the first two, but then as the slightly broken sounding house track unfolds were treated to a bubbly, square wave bass and atonal chords with a slightly unnerving but ultimately very pleasing effect. Finally Volve is an offbeat, meandering journey that takes us into the strangest territory on the EP yet.

Oh and theres even a digital bonus track Make It which strips things down to a wonderfully rounded kick and swirling atmosphere.

Oh boy.

Out 28^th October on digi and wax

North Lake Moonwalker (Phonica Records)

Phonica ready their 9^th release with this EP from North Lake which is 3 tracks of full, beautifully produced house music. The opening gambit Marlborol Noir is all about growling analogue bass and thick, heavy drums. The meandering solo has a melancholic air that puts you in mind of the rain washed streets of Blade Runners Tokyo. Following on from this we get the pulsating chords and heavy 909 beat of Suomi Katsuu and finally the spiraling synths of the more up-tempo  Moonwalker.

One of the strongest releases from Phonica to date.

Out 28^th October on digi and wax.

Dense & Pika Colt EP (Hotflush)

Finally this week weve got a 4 tracker from Dense and Pika on Hotflush which is not somewhere I usually check to be honest (yeah I know get with the program right?) The title track Colt is a rough diamond. Distorted, heavily driven drums rip away but are offset with soaring pianos that make a nicely balanced whole. Black Deep is a more straight up, stripped down techno track thats nothing but effective. Vomee starts out as a more disjointed affair, but soon everything comes together and so does the dancefloor. Bringing up the rear is Airless which has to be classed as a b-side gem and was recorded in one take with live percussion and woodwind. This is a stripped back percussive monster, with those push-pull bongos that end up making you feel slightly sick.

Out 14^th October on digi and wax