- A vibrant house EP that balances tradition with novelty.
- The Tartleton Appreciation Club gives us Felix Leifur's take on Moodymann-style sample collage. You can hear this influence on the EP's title track, which has gently warped background strings and a muffled disco loop. Between the rich, modern textures and the tilted drum programming, it has enough personality to feel like more than just another copy of Kenny Dixon Jr. The breadth of Leifur's sound bank is part of what makes this EP stand out. Instead of the same old drum machine sounds, the beat is built with a range of sources—some farther away, others close, some damaged, others squeaky clean.
The sample palette is especially broad on "Juledreng," which, along with "The Tarleton Appreciation Club," is probably what most DJs will reach for. The swing is so hard that it's nearly sideways, but it feels natural when mirrored by an equally restless bassline. It nails the sweet spot that makes the Dutch label Bobby Donny stand out, pairing retro-tinted house with the more eccentric aspects of cutting-edge club music. "Parts" is the EP's only awkward beat, with a groove that seems to step on itself and elements that simply don't play that well together. "Robbi," with its jazzy acoustic drum kit, is a slow-burner that gets steadily weirder as it reveals itself. It also achieves a curious balance of tradition and novelty.
TracklistA1 The Tarleton Appreciation Club
A2 Parts
B1 Robbi
B2 Juledreng