If you like your grooves funk-fuelled and analog, then look no further than James Curd’s rather glorious triple track ep. ‘Checking Out NYC’ is a growling plucked bass, tight vocal cries, trickling keys and a spoken word vocal for extra cool. The piano chords go to church, amping up the energy all the way, whilst the 303s add that acid burble that gives rave reflux a good name. ‘Vertigo’ is a crisp snare and bungee bassline dance off that will make the old skool househeads lose their shit and the make the nu-schoolers green with nu-acid house envy. What marks it out from the acid house wish they weres is that it layers on a tropical steel drum top line that is so beautifully musical and hooky that you can’t help but love it. Like the lyric says ‘At first I’m feeling high, then i’m feeling low, i’m trying to keep my focus, feels like vertigo’… We live this out on the dancefloor. It speaks to us. It gets my vote for this lyric alone. ‘Dance and Dash’ is an upbeat treat with double bass, 808s, bottle hits and steel drums going in and hard at it with the odd vocal whoop just for fun. Funky Chi-town vibes for those who know.
4/5
Reviewed by: Paulette
