teshno

stolen kisses is the delightfully entitled new label from lwe editor-in-chief, steve mizek. said site’s indisputable ear for excellence means you will now already be expecting something slicker than your average cut from the imprint, and you’d be right to, for the so-called ‘first kiss’ is as memorable as such a thing should be. it comes from rated chicago house producer hakim murphy, but rather than a jacking, edgy perspective of the windy city à la carter or sneak, his vision is one made up by a patchwork of sounds, samples and surfaces more inline with edfemin’s 2010 full length, um, chicago.

‘infinite sensations’ is the one original track murphy provides, arranging flappy snares, see-sawing percussion and dollops of melodic colour into a loose, dynamic framework that’s always anchored to a pulsing kick. it’s moody, broody and the myriad different threads drift about like mischievous spirits in a warm night air. despite that whimsical and mysterious edge, though, things forever remain engaging.

so too during the ‘grind remix’, the first of two re-rubs by rush hour confrere s2 aka santiago salazar. his bottom ends have more focus, weight and swing, swooping as a result into deeper basement territory following the original’s more dishevelled after-party vibes. it’s streamlined and subtle where the final sucio remix is rather more excitable. rollercoaster keys (or synths or whatever other pleasing sounds they are) rise up and down giving height and depth to a flowery percussion line and bristling beat pattern. it’s summery without relying on the usual motifs and signals the birth of another label well worth watching.

buy it/listen

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