- When Workshop 21 dropped last year, it was hard not to be intrigued by Willow, the Manchester producer, real name Sophie Wilson, who made her debut with that record's A1, "Feel Me." Sultry, thumping and surprisingly catchy, it was one of the most memorable tracks ever released on Workshop, which is saying something given how much great music that label has put out over the years. And yet, "Feel Me" revealed only a portion of Wilson's sound. Workshop 23, her first solo record, shows what else is up her sleeve.
All four tracks on Workshop 23 are built on sparse rhythms and thick sub-bass, but aside from that they're all quite different. The A1 is spooky house, all booming kick drums, smoky vocal snippets and a thick, sinister bassline. The only other house track is the B2, an altogether more somber thing with drifting chords and long beatless stretches. B1 has a fluttering rhythm and a melody that quivers like fireflies in a jar. The real show-stopper here is the A2, a slinky, sub-heavy groover that flirts with dubstep and trip-hop, but at a house tempo. The production on all four tracks is beautifully dark and smooth, and though none is a bona fide hit the way "Feel Me" was, each is addictive in its own way. Safe to say that Willow's next record will be as anticipated as this one.
TracklistA1 Untitled
A2 Untitled
B1 Untitled
B2 Untitled