- Individually, Francis Harris and Anthony Collins—the guys behind moody indie-house label Scissor & Thread—already have an impressive body of work behind them. As a team, they seem to enhance each other's strengths. If anything, it's a shame it's taken them this long to start regularly collaborating. 004 is the latest from both the label and partnership, arguably marking the full maturation of both.
Even before the plaintive vocal hits, the tone of "Holding On" is set by heavily muted organs and saturated gloom. When the vocal—from Bob Moses—does arrive, it becomes almost nihilistic. And yet despite this, it's undoubtedly a record that would work on the dance floor. "Holding On" is atmospheric house at its most evocative, completely at odds with the origins of the genre but utterly engrossing all the same.
"Orchid Trait" treads a similarly downtrodden path, with the same sullen, subby throb and another gorgeously lovelorn vocal, this time from Julia. Static and distortion coat both the vocal and the percussion, as if they've been ripped from an ancient piece of vinyl. If haunting yet warm house music is your thing, you've come to the right place.
Tracklist01. Holding On
02. Holding On (Dub)
03. Trait
04. Orchid Trait (Dub)