Various ‎- SUR002

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  • Of all the countless house producers who move to London and Berlin each year, only some bring with them the sounds of their home cities. This is the case with SUR, a label run by artists who, in their own words, want to connect "their old Río de la Plata scene with their new scenes in Europe"—Río de la Plata being the river that separates Argentina and Uruguay, the countries SUR's artists left behind. Their sound fits nicely in Europe's current dance music landscape, particularly within the stripped back electro- and breaks-flavored style of house popularized by labels like Traffic and Slow Life. But they also have something that's theirs alone—an elasticity to their rhythms and a controlled chaos to their arrangements you don't really hear anywhere else. This side of their sound comes into focus on their second EP, a mini-compilation featuring three previously unknown acts. Manuk, an Argentian producer now based in London, delivers the record's most hard-hitting tracks: "Space Mini Cab" and "Another Beer, Bukowski?" Though clearly crafted with the club in mind, both are busy in a way that feels almost IDM. Their heavy kick drums swerve between irregular patterns and a 4/4 chug, while dissonant synths form hectic leads. The other two tracks are more about groove than impact. "No Name," by a Berlin-based trio called Formas, has a birdsong melody that recalls golden-era Perlon or Playhouse, but the rhythm is totally contemporary, a weightless and syncopated beat that's equal parts electro and minimal house. Bruno Di Paolo's "In Ur Machin" is chilled and spacey until the snares and hi-hats roll in, forming a smooth cyclone of a groove you'd be happy to roll with well beyond its eight-and-half minute runtime.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Formas - M6 A2 Manuk - Space Mini Cab B1 Bruno Di Paolo - In Ur Machine B2 Manuk - Another Beer, Bukowski?
RA