- After indulging his taste for ambient music with last year's rewarding Spring Theory EP, Sage Caswell gets back to basics on House Of Jeans. And not only does he clear away the soporific atmospheres and tone down the reverie, he also beefs up and sharpens the beats. ("Welcome Home," in particular, does robust work with its massive drums.) To put it plainly, these four tunes are for DJ use only, chock full of sub-busting frequencies and hit-the-rafters drops.
That standard technique suits Caswell. Not unlike Leon Vynehall, the LA producer has a knack for giving classic house tropes texture and personality. The EP's title track folds together hand drums, sparse rhythmic accents and a warped stutter, which the slamming beats lead into a bath of glowing synth. "What Starts To Happen" takes a typical road through warm, soulful house, but the percussive clatter that carries it—not to mention the subtle touches—keeps things fresh. "Leaving," on the other hand, surrounds its garage-y skip and deep 808 bounce in unsurprising accoutrements (trippy vocal samples, subdued chords), but even those ideas feel invigorated by Caswell's touch. Where House Of Jeans skimps on ingenuity, it gorges on excitement.
TracklistA1 Welcome Home
A2 What Starts To Happen
B1 House Of Jeans
B2 Leaving