- Where past releases on Athens label Nous have tended towards blissful deep house, the label's latest is far murkier. The debut EP from Berlin producer Spoiled Drama is closer to the dark, muscular house of DVS1's Mistress label than to the likes of Vaib-R or Miltiades. Fortunately, this widening of purview turns out to be an excellent move.
"Black Drama" is the highlight here. Its, ahem, drama stems from the tension between its elements: weary darkwave synths on one hand, an upbeat soulful acapella ("I won't fade away, I'll be pushin' on...") on the other. The results perfectly capture that sense of grim determination to push through a 5 AM drug slump, but it's also bold and hooky enough to ensnare a sober crowd. The remaining three originals thrive on the contrast between extremely chunky percussion (the kicks, in particular, feel like a fist to the jaw) and some softening element or other. "The Sun In Your Face," whose heartstring-tugging chords could've been lifted from the Richard D. James Album, is the best of the bunch. But the other two are worth checking—"Dark Passenger," with its heartfelt monologue, and "Onto"'s wonderfully anaesthetised chord work. Taken together, they outline a stark and highly distinctive aesthetic, an impressive feat in a debut release. So impressive, in fact, that a remix from Opal Tapes golden boy Patricia feels redundant.
Tracklist01. Black Drama
02. Sun In Your Face
03. The Dark Passenger
04. Onto
05. Black Drama (Patricia's No Drama Mix)