- DJ, producer, promoter and label manager Costas "Cozzy D" Demou lives and breathes East London's house scene. Alongside Lee Brinx and Dexter Kane, Cozzy runs Lower East Records, an imprint that in two and a half years has built itself a staunch reputation in a world monopolised by only a handful of labels. Their first release of the new year arrives courtesy of Cozzy himself, enlisting the remix services of synthy LA trio Droog.
The opening bars of the EP are characterised by Cozzy's hallmark clinical bassline swing, confirming "Listen" as one for peak-time. Before it descends into the stripped-back cut of dance floor house it was always destined to be, Cozzy dangles a gauze of melancholia over the track's groove, accentuating the poignancy of the hazy, languid vocals. It's the definitive odd couple, but the marriage works. Cozzy tries something similar on "Stalker," but here the fusion of upbeat piano stabs and luminescent synths doesn't quite pull through, even if the kick/bass foundation is in typically good shape. Finally, Droog's take on "Listen" leads with a diligently layered four minutes of trademark techy drums and metallic, swooping synths before dropping into a beatless song-like interlude of misty, affected vocals. It's one for the 7 AM crowd and is overall fairly engaging, but if Cozzy and co. plan to play ball with the big boys in 2013 they'll need to sharpen things up a touch.
Tracklist01. Listen (Original)
02. Listen (Droog Remix)
03. Stalker