Having initially forecast his production energy into his own Tartan imprint, Wallace’s music quickly developed a cultish following among record collectors and influential DJs including Gilles Peterson, Optimo, Hunee and Ryan Elliott. Another supporter has been CWPT’s founder Palms Trax, who, following releases on Studio Barnhus and Rhythm Section, snatches four highly sought-after tracks for the seventh release on the label, each showcasing Wallace’s inimitable and enviable skills as an engineer and a willingness to stoke the sort of organic euphoria that DJs dream of igniting.
Amongst the curios, rarities and other finds that have peppered Palms Trax’s sets this past summer, it’s title track ‘Willow’ that has levitated entire club and festival dance floors like few others. Escalating from a disco percussion loop, ‘Willow’ soon brings on high-energy melodies and a captivating sense of something more ethereal, seemingly reinvigorating old tricks with exciting new flavours: if you only raise your hands to one climactic snare roll this year, we ask you to make it this one.
This refreshing intersection between flourish and function is felt even more heavily on ‘Breathe’, a contemporary electronic battle weapon whose breaks-and-bassline arrangement fluctuates between weightless wonder and heavy business. Frontloaded with the detail and atmosphere of a vintage Chems or Leftfield cut, 'Breathe' exhales then explodes all the skill and reverie of the most memorable 90s techno.
Wallace appears to dip into the chillout room for the swampy rhythm of ‘Masada’, before proving his slow-motion mettle, a Sergeant Peppering of psychedelia creating true hedonistic density and groove. In conclusion and on the contrary, ‘River Dancers’ maintains subtle hypnosis at a similar pace with much less, employing simple timbres and a stuttering, innocent vocal inflection to conjure wide-eyed whimsy far downstream from the EP’s earlier, maximal wonders.
I know Ayo is popping off everywhere but think the second track deserves it’s due too!! Really fun Bollywood sampling, takes me back to my childhood STNLY
Simple and yet effective. Ones the tune gets going, it'll make you stomp your feet. And if you're still standing still after a minute, the drop will surely get you going!
Simply fantastic.... G4000
This 6-track compilation features artists from around the world creating deep, expressive, and ultra-dancefloor-ready rhythms. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 16, 2024
This Bandcamp exclusive comes complete with a head-spinning background story (check the album notes) and eerie electronics. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 29, 2023
pangaea is one of the few artists who can make the hessle blueprint truly appeal to me; this record serves up a tasty blend of everything i could want from his work. Watching Nebula