- The Lobster Theremin founder delivers two slamming house tracks.
- It wouldn't be a stretch to call Jimmy Asquith one of the most influential people in modern house music. The Londoner took lo-fi house to unprecedented heights with his Lobster Theremin label, pressing its hazy aesthetic to dozens of records that defined the style. It hosted early releases from some of lo-fi's biggest names, among them Route 8, Privacy and Ross From Friends. Throughout all of it, Asquith was always close by, playing at label showcases and laying down Lobster Theremin's distinctive artwork while occasionally producing tunes of his own. The Conditioning Track is the first release under Asquith's own name, and lands on a self-titled label set up for his productions. It's an upbeat record with two gritty rhythm tracks built for peak-time club play by the DJs Lobster Theremin inspires.
A white-label release that's also available digitally, The Conditioning Track presents two versions of the title tune. Both are stomping, garage-tinged house tracks with rumbling basslines and shuffling percussion, tougher than most Lobster Theremin records. The "North London" version is the sunnier option, thanks to organ chords that could have been sampled from a '90s Jovonn classic. The high-end sounds are crunchy, as though they were run through Bitcrusher. The same goes for the piercing hi-hats on the "NYC Mix," which strips away the melody for three minutes of percussive carnage before a wobbling UK garage bassline storms the mix. These are functional tracks that will appeal to DJs unafraid of some scuffed edges. It's a well-worn style, so to stand out tracks like this need to do more than just bang.
TracklistA The Conditioning Track (NYC Mix)
B The Conditioning Track (North London Mix)