Che Armstrong – Glock/Kermon (Axon)

Axon boss Che Armstrong returns to the label with two techy cuts, while Axon-regular Frank Maris follows up a cluster of strong originals with his first remix for the label.

‘Glock’ has a rolling sound, cool looped vocal samples, and lovely melodic touches that lift it above the average tech-houser. Che Armstrong wisely resists the urge to overcomplicate the track, and the killer bassline and gentle chimes are a totally winning combination.

I’ve been a big fan of Frank Maris’s tracks on Axon to date, though for those of us used to his melodic take on deep house his version of ‘Glock’ offers a surprisingly dark vision of the track. Maris twists the vocal sample, stabs and an unnerving looped melody over a bass-heavy techno core. It’s good to see Maris stretching himself beyond the sound that we might have come to expect from him, though in this instance I preferred Che Armstrong’s original.

The second original here is ‘Kermon’, which is similar to ‘Glock’, but slightly lighter in tone, with some dreamy pads and disco-tinges keeping things interesting throughout. I slightly preferred ‘Glock’ of the two, but not by much.

This is a really solid release from Che Armstrong and Axon, showcasing just my kind of tech-house: melodic and engaging without compromising an inch on groove. Great stuff. 8/10