teshno

though for a while there it seemed like anton zap was almost single-handedly flying the flag for quality electronica in russia, his hard worked has finally paid off. there are now more and more new russian producers, djs and labels surfacing in his wake with their own unique sounds. once such chap is deep house man alex danilov, previously of arma and housewax association, here stepping out with an ep all his own on young vinyl only imprint mysterious russian soul. it’s an apt label title for what is a four track ep buried deep below the surface.

the standout track is also the opener: ‘white smoke’ doesn’t have pronounced kicks, drums or percussion, but is instead is a smooth, bubbly cloud of thick ambiances and occult spirit. what sets it all on fire, though, is the plucked and drunk sounding bass line, classily and carefully flanged, which rises and falls through the track’s huge (but underwater) open spaces. fellow russian deep house champ brother g’s remix aint too shoddy either: it’s less heady due to the light brought in by some ethereal and echoing chords, whilst some sharper percussive edges also keep you from sinking too far down into the oceanic abyss. that flanged b-line is still there, though slightly obscured this time by raw claps, and acts to carry you off to another place entirely.

next up, ‘sundays’ is another soft edged, comforting deep house listen backed with slowly swirling synth landscapes. a light percussive dusting keeps things purposeful and infectiously on the move, with all sorts of echo, delay and panning effects working in the background to keep you full hypnotised without you really realising. for the remix, the aforementioned zap steps in to add his his typical dubby techno touch. the mood here is a little sterner and more metallic than the pad laced daydream of the original, and so too do the claps chatter to add extra bite. overall, then, a seriously sensuous journey into the deepest recess of house music.

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