Pariah - 'Safehouses' EP

This passing week saw the release of Pariah's new 6-track EP 'Safehouses'. The youngster originally from Scotland, born Arthur Cayzer, caught attention with the success of his debut single 'Detroit Falls/Orpheus' released back in April on the resurging R&S label. This EP established his talent, with two contrasting cuts; 'Detroit Falls' a Dilla inspired track with a complex hip-hop beat that lingers around the 80 bpm mark backed with classic vocal soul samples, as well as 'Orpheus' which fits better with the ever mutating UK Bass label, with a grooving 4x4 deep garage beat placed in conjunction with emotional female vocals and synth chords that recall the merging sounds of dubstep/garage/techno/house which artists such as Joy Orbison, George FitzGerald, xxxy and Disclosure are really pushing at this moment in time.

With the 'Safehouses' EP, Pariah once again displays a desire to experiment and not be confined to one expected style or genre. For a young man who is only releasing his second record on the classic Belgian R&S label which was revered throughout the 90s with it's sublime electro/rave records (Outlander's 'Vamp' is my favorutie of the releases - click here to listen), it would probably be the easier and safer option to select one style he feels comfortable with and to stick it. You've got to admire him for taking the challenging route of exploring different styles, and the fact he does so with such quality and confidence speaks volumes about this artists' talent.

You can almost split the EP up into 3 sections in terms of the style it adopts or explores. 'The Slump' and 'Prism' present more electro/techno influenced numbers, fitting into the 130 bpm territory explored so greatly by the R&S label in its heyday. 'The Slump' is composed of a polyrhythmic beat, the first established an old school sounding electro beat which is shortly accompanied by an 808 drum arrangement so regularly used by Addison Groove and Ramadanman. Although very complex, these contrasting beats complement each other nicely. Added layers of staggered chords, soaring synths and the increasingly prominent male vocal clips add emotion to a cold, well structured beat, elements which round off a very well produced track. 'Prism' however seems to be gaining the more attention of the two, although I think 'The Slump' matches it in terms of quality. An omnipresent acid bassline which is wonderfully arranged accompanies the strange stepping beat, which adds great accent on every first beat. The influence of Burial, one of Cayzer's favourite artists, can clearly be heard in the manipulation of vocals. The vocal samples on the track receive a similar distorted and distant effect to the ones we hear throughout 'Untrue', which results in an melancholic and emotional cry. As the track develops the vocals are looped into repetition, coinciding well with the introduction of soft synths chords as well as the strong acid bassline. 

'Railroad' and 'Crossed Out' provide the 2nd mid section if you like. These two tracks follow the suit set by 'Orpheus', fitting more kindly into the indefinable mutating style which is in fruition at present, placing itself somewhere between or around dubstep/garage/2-step/techno/house. 'Railroad' is one of the shortest tracks on the EP at 3 mins 36 secs, but it definitely makes the most of the time it has. One of the most emotional numbers on 'Safehouses', it is structured with a patient shuffling 2-step rhythm, which is occasionally replaced and accompanied by short intervals of lovely breakbeat arrangements. A beautiful synth harmony, which when combined with the ever distant wailing female vocals causes a tugging of the heart strings, punctuates this stepping beat very much in the mould of Burial. 'Crossed Out' is in my opinion the most dancefloor friendly track on the EP, and represents the height of its tempo. An altogether lighter and bass heavier track, a faster, skipping 2-step beat kicks things into action, which is later enhanced by a reverberating bassline after the drop. Strong circulating synths rally, and the looped diva vocal clips complete this, acting as an incentive to move onto the dancefloor rather than enhance the emotion of the track (as 'Hyph Mngo's' female vocals function). 

The final section is an altogether different exploration, something which touches on styles yet unexplored by Pariah. 'C-Beams', which I view as the best track on the EP, is a wonderfully produced glitch affair, electronic infused hip-hop. The first thing that came to mind when I heard the track was FlyLo, with a touch of Dilla. The beat is reminiscent of those brilliant old school hip-hop samples, but those alien, warped synth arrangements and distorted female vocals give the track a modern edge, associated with artists like FlyLo and Hudson Mohawke. The title track 'Safehouses' is the most experimental of the lot, and unexpected by myself. It's a beautiful but slightly haunting track. Lacking a beat, the track is made up of atmospheric ambience and wonderfully composed synth chord arrangements, which render this a track which wouldn't sound out of place in an intense thriller. It is testament to Cayzer's talent that he can include such an attempt in an EP where old school eletcro, dubstep, garage and glitch-hop are all touched upon.

'Safehouses' is a brilliant follow up by Pariah, and indication that this young producer deserves the hype he has received on the back of 'Detroit Falls/Orpheus'. However, we must remember this is only the 2nd EP which the youngster has produced, and he is still evidently exploring potential sounds. Although this is a brilliant effort, one of the highlights of the year for me, I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot more from Pariah in the near future. You can listen to the EP below, as well as purchase it by clicking here. 

RS1005 - Pariah - Safehouses by R & S Records

Penfield F/W 2010 Lookbook - A Longmeadow Morning

Yes. Finally it's that time of the year again. The return of cold, grey, mild weather. The beginnings of dark, melancholic musical releases. The football league season is back in full swing, Steve Claridge once again gracing our screens to add light entertainment to the lives of those who have a slightly average knowledge of football with his outlandish and bemusing opinions, or lack thereof. Most importantly though, this time of the year signals the introduction of fall/winter collections into stores. These are without doubt my favourite collections, with jackets, flannel shirts, heavy gauge jumpers/knitwear, new denim and further trainer releases. This time of the year really is wonderful.

Recently the New England based outerwear brand Penfield have released their fall/winter 2010 lookbook, entitled 'A Longmeadow Morning', and suitably so. I am a real admirer of the Penfield brand, and I respect the way they stay true to their design routes in Massachusetts, where the company was founded back in 1975. Previous lines have displayed a penchant for designing to quality outerwear that is practical yet aesthetically pleasing, suited to outdoor activity just as much as it is in specialist streetwear stores. The new fall/winter 2010 collection very much looks to be following the trend set by it's previous collections, with high quality and practical materials used to create some very cool designs, although I do have a reservation or two about features in the lookbook.

The abundance of good quality flannel as well as buttoned down shirts within the lookbook really stood out to me, with a number of checked shirts as well as plain light denim styles to provide a nice balance on the shirt front of things. This is something the brand have always produced well, with great materials and nice fits. The presence of thick, durable jackets bracing us for what will hopefully be a reasonably cold winter are also a highlight of the collection. Penfield are specialists in creating high quality jackets and windbreakers as this line suggests, with practical materials and fits combined with a smart design which on one of the jackets features a well chosen navy shoulder trim against the main beige colouring of the jacket. The one area I am disappointed with in the line is the seemingly great amount of gilets that feature in collection. This is down to personal taste in all honesty, but when have gilets every been a nice clothing design? To put it simply, they haven't. The body of the gilet design looks like it's been based on the body of the Michelin man, and the sleeveless element has always bemused me. Why not just buy a jacket which has the essential feature of sleeves, which whilst at the same time as being a more aesthetically pleasing design will keep you warmer? Please forgive me for the extended rant here.

In all (excluding the awful gilets), the new Penfield fall/winter 2010 collection is looking very promising, with some really nice shirt and jacket designs. You can view the full lookbook by clicking here. You can also expect to see the items online shortly at http://www.penfieldusa.com/store_us/index.php/ as well as in stores such as Size? and Urban Outfitters.

Penfield Fall/Winter 2010 Lookbook - A Longmeadow Morning

Label Profile #1 Well Rounded - Take Flight Club

Here's the link to the first label profile at Take Flight Club. The first is with the brilliant up-coming Brighton based Well Rounded, whose head man Donga provides an interesting interview. As well as this Donga and Blake contribute an exclusive wonderful hour long mix and free track available for download on the site. Check out the feature now http://takeflightclub.com/blog/?portfolio-item=label-profile-1-well-rounded. Be sure to download both Donga and Blake productions, you're in for a real deep house/techno treat. Look out for future Take Flight posts, we've got a lot coming your way in the near future.

http://takeflightclub.com

C.R.S.T - 'Revival' EP (WRN006)

The Brighton based label Well Rounded continue to prove their ever growing reputation in the UK Bass is more than deserved with their latest release. Well Rounded's 6th EP sees the Welsh quartet C.R.S.T (comprised of the 4 DJ's/producers Chesus, Rodski, Stroud and Tony Blitz) provide 4 tracks which pay homage to the vibes of old skool garage (recalls the Ice Cream records days 95-98), with skittery and stuttering beats in abundance alongside lofty synth chords. Each of the four tracks is well produced, however, I believe 2 tracks on the EP really display the quality which has quickly become associated with releases on Well Rounded.

My favourite track on the EP is without a shadow of a doubt 'Need You'. This track is a real old skool influenced cut, recalling the works of R.I.P Productions and the D.E.A Project from the mid-late 90's. The track's build up is lovely, with the gradual introduction of the shuffling hi-hats and distinctive kick drums on top of the 4x4 rhythm to create that classic skittey beat. In addition the ethereal sounding synths and diva vocal clips round of this classic garage model, which whilst sounding like old skool material still very much contains a future sound in its clean cut productions. The track is thrown into full swing after 1 minute of anticipating a drop with the accumulation of increasing elements. All instrumentation is dropped whilst the diva vocal sample fills the empty silence with a wonderful wailing cry, immediately followed by the introduction of a strong bassline typical of UK garage accompanied by the previously established shuffling beat. 

'May Not Be Real' is very similar in its approach and format to 'Need You', taking from the past to create the structure of a track which still sounds up to date with such well thought through and modern sounding production values. A very standard UK garage structure can be seen once again, skittery shuffling beats with a layer of well arranged synth chords adding more substance to the cut. Emotion is provided once again in the form of the soulful diva vocals which have much more of a presence in this track than the previous. I have a feeling some may dismiss these tracks as merely copying a past trend. However, I think you have to appreciate the homage and pastiche such an EP displays, with a good interpretation of such a classic genre very much a skill in itself. C.R.S.T also leave their own mark on these tracks, with their vocal sample arrangements and manipulation of well arranged synth chords very much work of their own. 

The 'Revival' EP does exactly what it says in its name. It revives an old skool garage sound, but provides new elements which provide a new future for such a sound. If you're a fan of the future garage sounds of Falty DL, or even a vetran of the old skool garage days of the mid-late 90s, then this 4 track EP is definitely essential listening. You can purchase it now on MP3 by clicking here, with the 12" to be released in the next couple of weeks from the same site. Look out for both C.R.S.T and Well Rounded releases in the future, they're both doing great things. Check out both 'Need You' and 'May Not Be Real' in the players below.

'Revival' EP:

1) 'Need You'

2) 'May Not Be Real'

3) 'Dial The Operator'

4) 'Walk On'

Need You - C.R.S.T by C.R.S.T
May Not Be Real - C.R.S.T by C.R.S.T

Breach - 'Fatherless' (PTN004)

Finally, after a 3 month wait the 'Fatherless' EP has arrived with a release on the new sub-label of Ramp Recordings, PTN. This strand of the label is focusing more on UK Funky/house releases in the form of Doc Daneeka, Hackman, Hypno, and now the jewel in the crown; Breach's 'Fatherless'. This release is Breach's (aka DJ, singer and producer Ben Westbeech) first attempt at the UK bass format, and he adapts with great success. The title track 'Fatherless' has been a favourite with the scenes most talented DJ's and producers over the past couple of months, receiving play time in the sets of Joy Orbison, Gilles Peterson and xxxy.

The title track of the release, 'Fatherless', is without doubt the cut which will receive the most attention and play. It's an absolute dancefloor killer, and will surely develop into an anthem for the UK Funky underground sound over the next few months or so. However, it would be wrong to dismiss this as merely a track for the dancefloor, with it's brilliant production demonstrating the multiple talents Ben Westbeech has to offer. For a track which is largely dancefloor orientated, it is wonderfully poised and builds nicely, patient in releasing the tracks drop.  The track teases you, adding layers onto the original tribal style beat which acts as the base of the track. Extra percussive elements are placed alongside the beat to add to the tribal sounding effect, a quality which the the swinging synths also contribute. As we reach the 1 minute mark, the unforgettable 'Fatherless' vocal sample as well as the looped flute are introduced, and culminate with the tracks previous beat and strong bassline to form the tracks drop as the track nears 1:45. At this moment the track reaches the mark which it will no doubt be remembered for, but the intricacy behind its introduction should not be overlooked. After this point the track works you into a frenzy, with the beat, which gives an impression of a tribal sound, as well as the swarming flutes and hypnotic 'fatherless' vocal clips forcing you into a groove.

'Fatherless' is backed with 'Man Up'; a track which is overshadowed by the brilliance of its A side, but yet is still a production of the highest quality. 'Man Up' is quite similar to 'Fatherless' in its format, and adopts the tribal sound heard in the previous number. The track once again is a slow and patient progress, which doesn't set off until the 2 minute mark. The first 1:30 slowly builds, with the gradual introduction of on beat synth chords and intricate syncopated percussive arrangements to accompany a bongo sounding beats and tribal chanting. The track then breaks at 1:30, leaving just the strong beat and vocal cries, until the track erupts dead on 2 minutes with the introduction of forceful bass, reserved streams of synths, and a female vocal sample which recalls the repetition of vocals in Addison Groove's work. It's a very strong track which if separated from a shared release with 'Fatherless' would gain the attention it deserves. Doc Daneeka also provides a remix of 'Fatherless', a version of the track which evades much of the profluent elements of the original, rather kicking straight into action with an enhanced bassline that makes the track further suitable to DJ sets.

Make sure you give a listen to this one. You can by the EP on 12" now by clicking here. On this showing, Ben Westbeech certainly has a promising future in the UK Bass scene with work under the alias of Breach.

Nike Blazer x Size? Pack 2

About 3 weeks ago I posted on the release of the Nike Blazer x Size? 10th anniversary collaboration. This was labelled 'Pack 1', and consisted of a wonderfully designed black suede blazer alongside a white leather version, which included elements of Size? orange as well as the question mark logo on the upper back of the shoe. In the lead photo, the outline of an orange trainer could just about be made out in the distance, placed perfectly to just evade the focus of the camera. I thought we may be seeing this unknown trainer sometime soon, potentially in the 2nd of the two packs. And that is exactly what this brilliant Nike x Size? collaboration has delivered. 

The Size? orange is the perfect colour for this collaboration. The vibrant orange suede fits the blazer canvas perfectly, looking not dissimilar to the line of vintage blazers that was released back in May/June.  The white leather swoosh and rubber outer-sole complement the colourway very nicely, with the orange question mark on the upper back confirming that this is very much the Nike x Size? 10th anniversary, just in case you had somehow had any doubts. These will be run on a limited release again, with only 300 pairs being made available from Size? stores on Saturday 11th September. You will also be able to purchase a very limited amount of pairs online at www.size.co.uk. I would recommend getting to your local Size? store very early that Saturday. Judging by the unfathomable beauty of this trainer, I most certainly will be camping outside the store on Carnaby Street on the Friday night. It will no doubt be an investment for the future.

Disclosure - 'Offline Dexterity' EP

To say I felt completely worthless and untalented after to listening to Disclosure's debut EP would be an understatement. The duo, comprising of brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence, are only aged 15 and 18 respectively, information which only further cemented the quality of this wonderful debut. Falling into the same indefinable areas as Joy Orbison and George FitzGerald, their tracks blend elements of 2-step/garage, dubstep, house as well as R&B/Soul. The result is a future garage sound which contains strong 2-step rhythms, warm rising synth lines, disembodied R&B diva vocals which contribute to content melodies as well as dreamy dub sub-bass. It's the perfect example of pastiche in UK bass music.

The EP entails two tracks, 'Offline Dexterity' and 'Street Line Chronicle'. 'Offline Dexterity' is the more obvious and explicitly dancefloor orientated track of the two. Set at dubstep's 140 bpm average, the track's 2-step rhythm sets the basis for a structure around which heavy, distorted synth lines and distant wailing diva vocals will send revelers into a frenzy (I without doubt include myself in this category). The track which really excites me though is 'Street Line Chronicle', a track I'm so impressed by I rate it as the second best track I've heard this year (I've racked up 30 listens of the track on my iPod today alone), just behind Peter O'Grady's masterpiece 'So Derobe'. 'Street Line Chronicle' is an altogether smoother track, with slightly better and well thought out production. The deep and luscious 2-step beat once again provides the structure of the track. The track slowly builds, with an ever increasing volume of deep sub-bass, beautiful harmonies created by well-arranged synth chords, as well as intricate percussive elements (best displayed at 1:20 and 3:20) and a soft, lamenting diva vocal which you can't help but connect with. The elements combine brilliantly, and converge to create a wonderful sound which is getting more exposure as the months move on. 

This sound cannot be defined, pined down by the latest term ('drumstep', one of the worst examples to be handed out recently). The sound is one of its own, but no tag can be attached, something which I only see as a positive. These kids will carry on experimenting with music, as will their predecessors Joy Orbison and George FitzGerald. There'll be no real way to define what they're doing, apart from that the sounds coming from their 7 and 12" are well and truly wonderful. 

You can check out Disclosure's myspace by visiting www.myspace.com/disclosureuk/, where you will find a couple more of their fantastic productions. The 'Offline Dexterity' EP will be released on Moshi Moshi Singles Club on the 6th September, so please make sure you purchase it. You can listen to the incredible EP preview in the link below, please don't miss out on this essential listening. And don't worry, if the brilliance of 'Street Line Chronicle' makes you cry you're not the only one. Play it loud; alongside JO and Burial preferably.