Fellow Glaswegian Andy King returns to the mighty Lowbit having previously contributed both a remix and a track to their catalogue, with the latter impressively sitting at the labelโs number one spot on Beatport almost a year after its release. His โFinaleโ EP sees him turn in three new chunky progressive housers, which are destined to have a big impact on dancefloors all over the place.
โAlien Discothequeโ kicks off with heavy percussion and drawn out pads, before unleashing a massive โI Feel Loveโ-style bassline on the unsuspecting listener. As the track builds towards the break, subtle little ripples pan from ear to ear, adding considerable texture. The breakdown introduces a simple motif, which gradually reappears as the track powers back up. Thereโs not really much to the track aside from that, but in Andy Kingโs hands these few ingredients are built up into something very effective and exciting, which will sound terrific at high volume.
The EPโs title track โFinaleโ combines a bold and funky bassline with nice little rippling melodies and a nostagic โOh yeahโ vocal refrain. The highlight of the track is definitely the dreamy breakdown, where a rippling melody snakes its way to the forefront and floaty pads add atmosphere and emotion. Itโs probably the least distinctive of the three tracks, but itโs definitely great feel-good material.
โCity Lifeโ initially has a rawer, nastier sound to it than โFinaleโ, tight, futuristic percussion and growling basslines propelling the track along, before a surprisingly uplifting chord change reveals a more melodic heart to the track. The chord changes really dominate in the breakdown, where theyโre wrapped in twisted spacey sweeps, which carry the main melody once the track picks back up again. The track ends on a deeper note, with the chord changes replaced once more by a steady growl, and a sprinkling of lovely, delicate little metallic moments. This is strong stuff from Andy King.
I think itโs fair to say that this isnโt an EP thatโs interested in breaking much new musical ground; the sounds and arrangements root things firmly in familiar territory for fans of progressive house. Still, Andy King manages to make it all sound bigger and better than most, and all three tracks will pack a tremendous amount of dance-floor punch. Of the three โAlien Discothequeโ grabbed me the most when I first heard the EP, and โCity Lifeโ was my least favourite. Oddly enough, Iโm now a bit torn between those two, with โCity Lifeโ probably currently edging ahead. Well, it doesnโt much matter, since in the end youโll want to check out the whole EP for yourself. Great material yet again from Lowbit. 8/10
