- As a producer, Henrik Schwarz has spent the past few years away from the dance floor. He's arranged his tunes for classic ensembles, recorded with his electroacoustic jazz trio and remixed everyone from Claude Debussy to Coldplay. But before all that, the German producer built a reputation with productions that provide "a perfectly dramatic moment that could define the peak of a set." Schwarz goes back to his roots on Not Also You, his first solo EP since 2013. He delivers a big-room banger that stands among his boldest tunes.
"Not Also You" revolves around a rude synth pulse. It has the sort of bassline that declares the DJ means business. The title comes from its spoken-word sample, in which an unknown narrator expresses his disappointment after the betrayal of a trusted friend. (A modern version of the immortal "Et tu, Brute?") Eventually, the vocals get musical, as a sung "Not also youuuu" rings out. The pressure cooks for nearly five minutes until it boils over into a breakdown. "Not You Also," the B-side dub, adds effects and texture to the propulsive bassline. This allows the track to realize its potential as a trippy tech house weapon. Unfortunately, Schwarz jettisons the vocal, and some of the original's personality, in the process. The opposite of subtle, this EP feels like a regression in the best way.
TracklistA Not Also You
B Not You Also