Jimpster - These Times

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  • Much as I like Jamie Odell's work as Jimpster, his past few remixes have left me fit to burst with glossy house. They've been good, but also consistently similar. The Englishman's latest 12-inch for his own label, Freerange, ends this run in beautiful fashion. It sees him team up with singer Simon Jinadu—who, apart from working with Odell before, has also collaborated with Kirk Degiorgio, and appeared on NovaMute and Peacefrog. The result is the unusually song-like "These Times," a lush mass of live instrumentation and harmony-heavy vocals. It gains real weight, however, via Odell's superbly-crafted melodies. Glassy and impossibly delicate, the cut's bell-like synths twirl patiently in place, shadowed by guitar, exploding cymbals and the caress of Jinadu's voice. A dub mix further emphasises the fragile beauty of this combination, which rivals 2010's "Alsace & Lorraine." Offering a slight surprise, "Can't Stop Loving" takes a much nastier, big room approach. It sounds like the kind of thing Instra:mental might come up with if they consciously attempted deep house. Delivered with marked intensity, its looped vocal is strangled by spiralling bass, and perforated with unusually heavy kicks. It's not the kind of thing you might expect from Jimpster, which is exactly what makes These Times so delightful.
  • Tracklist
      A These Times feat. Jindau A2 Can't Stop Loving B1 These Times (Dub)
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