- Whatever Deniz Kurtel has been having for breakfast lately, I want some. Her latest EP, The Fifth House, is about as unhinged as modern tech house gets, boasting two originals based on complex basslines that ooze psychedelia and funk. They're a long way from the sun-kissed tunes Kurtel released on Crosstown Rebels and Wolf + Lamb between 2011 and 2014, where feel-good melodies and pumping drums were the name of the game. But when you read into themes behind The Fifth House, which is based around an "astrological concept that life emanates from 12 terrains of experience," it's little wonder it sounds like it was made during a three-day afterparty with nothing but a scratched Perlon record to listen to.
"Coming From Dance" starts funky, but morphs into a wormhole of static, reverb and shakers. The intro—a kick, a crisp clap and an old-school bassline—gives way to a rambling vocal that loops specific words, adding to the chaos. Thanks to washes of atmospheric synth throughout its second half, "The Fifth House" is more upbeat, but it also beckons towards the rabbit hole with its plodding bassline and looping bleeps. The late Trevino ups the intensity on his rework of "The Fifth House," which yanks the curtains open with a bright piano riff. It adds a splash of cheer to an otherwise twisted EP.
TracklistA1 The Fifth House
B1 The Fifth House (Trevino Remix)
B2 Coming From Dance