- On the surface, Jon & Hugh are an unusual pair. Hugh, the owner of Sydney record store-turned-label OTIS Records who produces under the name Hubert Clarke Jr, has a passion for house and jazz. Jon Watts tends towards shadier sounds, be it frantic broken beats, darker ambient moods or other experimental flavours. They might not have much in common, yet as a duo they find captivating common ground. This is mostly the case on the second OTIS release, Another View.
The partnership finds its ideal balance on the record's opening cut, "Another View (Second Evolution)." A tranquil nature scene—bird calls, trickling streams, wind chimes—is complemented by carefully placed chords and toasty trumpet, while a stuttering jungle beat and rich bass injections kick underneath. "Feel Low" is more one-sided. It returns to the loopy, sample-driven house sound Clarke Jr explored in his Wolf Music 12-inch from 2016, this time overlaid with restless Watts-style drums. The pair settle into a mellow zone on the elegant "Stillness," which Melbourne's Rory McPike gives a sedate remix as Rings Around Saturn. Another View, particularly "Another View (Second Evolution)," suggests these two should continue to explore each other's musical worlds.
TracklistA1 Another View (Second Evolution)
A2 Stillness (Rings Around Saturn Dub)
B1 Feel Low
B2 Stillness