- HADE + Gutta have been shuttling around Cologne's electronic music scene for over a decade, but their only previous release as a duo came two years ago, with a slice of house-leaning juke on a compilation from Cologne's Melting Pot Music. It suggested they took an almost unhealthy amount of influence from Machinedrum.
Nothing Wrong looks much closer to home for inspiration, namely the UK bass continuum. In truth, it's only moderately successful, but that's not to say there aren't signs of real promise. These don't appear on "Nothing Wrong," though. Its elastic bassline and bouncy neo-UK-garage rhythm may have you checking the calendar to see if you're back in 2012. HADE's solo effort, "Baphome," still contains some Bashmoreisms, but it fairs better, mainly thanks to a charming combination of fluttering hi-hats and emotive stabs.
The highlight is "In Me," although even then the hit isn't an immediate one. Three minutes into a pleasant, if conventional, bass-leaning house jam, HADE + Gutta drop everything and introduce a rich Rhodes phrase. When the beats return, the bassline has emerged as something complex and beautiful.
TracklistA1 Hade & Gutta - Nothing Wrong
B1 Hade & Gutta - In Me
B2 Hade - Baphome