- Leeds duo Mak & Pasteman have decided to set up their own imprint, Materials, and mint it with three typically low-slung house tracks. Those bored of the UK's seemingly unending appetite for blending bumping 4/4 with Bristol-inspired bass will find little to love here, but fans of Aus and Hotflush's more mainstage-friendly moments will be well-served.
In fact "Formation" attempts that deconstructed jungle thing: sliced breaks chattering over occasional kicks and walls of distorted bass. It's no "Hackney Parrot," sure, but it's a solid fist at revivalism that goes beyond the "just stick some Amen's on it" approach. Either side of "Formation" it's business as usual. Opener "Jam One" never quite hits its stride, hamstrung by a pedestrian groove and a rote bassline that's only slightly lifted by the filtered chords that swing in at halfway. More successful is "Stagger," which positions its churning synth line amid muted piano stabs and a throbbing sub for something genuinely exhilarating. Not the most auspicious start to a label, but there's enough glimmers of innovation to hint at solid things to come.
Lista de sequência de músicasA1 Jam One
B1 Formation 131