A new EP from the hotly tipped ‘Luke Warm’ lands this week on FaltyDL’s burgeoning Blueberry Recordings imprint and it delivers more than just a few surprises.
There seems to be a tad of anonymity to the artist’s new moniker this time around (although if you know what you’re looking for it becomes a little more apparent), but the sound is all but familiar, not least due to the variety of samples plundered in the process of putting together this strong four-tracker. Fresh from a recent solo outing firmly rooted around the buzz of a Roland TB-303, here this (highly acclaimed) British producer gets a little more playful in the studio, combining as he does elements of old school house, hip-hop and disco to produce fruitful concoctions that bring forth a sound that seems to have one foot in the past, while the other stands firmly in the now.
Take for instance, the EP opener, ‘Daydreamin’, which makes use of a sample bank that spans almost 30 years, borrowing liberally from political speeches, psychedelic soul and rave culture while the rhythm weaves in and around a deliciously bumping slice of electronica. ‘Brockley Spears’ harks back to the cut and paste era of block party hip-hop (albeit in its instrumental format) with a slice of early-90s hardcore, while title track ‘Instant Vibe’ channels a little Chicago magic by way of Robert Owens and Chuck Roberts and updates it for today’s more discerning dance floors. Perhaps the standout though is the final track of the four, ‘Party Piece’ which unmistakably trips into action on an 80s hip-hop tip before pushing its way through to sunnier electronic climes, complete with a trademark electrifying bass line. It’s no doubt an inventive selection of ideas from ‘Mr Warm’ and as accomplished as we’ve come to expect from the producer, his master of assorted tempos and styles shining through on this release. After previous strong showings from Ghostly’s Todd Osborn and newcomer Brrd, this is another another promising EP for the new Brooklyn label and much like its genre-hopping founder, demonstrates its dare to be different.
You can download the digital release of the EP right now from all the usual outlets, including Juno and iTunes, while the vinyl junkies among us can grab the vinyl next Monday. In the meanwhile to get a flavour of all four tracks, stream them in full below: