Quivver returns to Bedrock with an appropriately fantastic double A-side, featuring ‘This Was’ and ‘Mumbo Jumbo’.
‘This Was’ sees Quivver serving up crisp percussion, wobbly synths, classic techno melodies, and a sparse but effective bass line. Weaving these elements together, Quivver creates an understated but atmospheric piece of crossover gear, which should appeal to a wider than usual variety of DJs and dancefloors. Over on the flipside, ‘Mumbo Jumbo’ is easily one of the best tracks of the year so far. Cool percussion, dubby stabs, and one of Quivver’s most compelling basslines to date work beautifully alongside a simple, melancholic string theme and excellent, intricate vocal work – add a strong arrangement (which gave me flashbacks to B.B.E.’s ‘Desire’, of all things) and lots of Quivver’s usual build-ups, drops and tricks, and you’ve got the idea. The finale is particularly special – the track doesn’t really shift key, but the bass pulses manage to hint in that direction, giving the track a subtle but significant lift. Quivver still produces some of the best melodic progressive house out there (‘Call’, anyone?), and he’s proved himself equally capable of crafting heavy, techy bangers – but rarely has he brought these two aspects of his sound together into one creation as effectively as he does with ‘Mumbo Jumbo’.
A while back I joked that we should stop reviewing Robert Babicz’s releases, since his name along was enough of a guarantee of quality. John Graham’s Quivver productions have also been in that category for a very long time. But I can’t stop reviewing them – it’s always a pleasure. Essential stuff from Bedrock.
