Z@p - Mayday EP

  • Uruguay's top producer returns with four classy techno and electro hybrids.
  • Share
  • Ever since Z@p returned from a seven-year hiatus in 2016 with a run of new releases, the Uruguayan artist has spoken a clear sonic language.He's found his sounds: unvarnished drum machine samples, unusual flavors of hollow midrange bass and rubbery, trance-tinged synths and acid voices. The risk in working with similar sounds is that your art might come off one-dimensional, but the payoff is an EP like Z@p's Mayday for Cabaret. It's a mature statement with a distinct personality that fits comfortably in his body of work. "Winter Nights" is the standout. I'd call it a "breakbeat bomb," even though it doesn't sample old breaks. It does have a syncopated kick and swung hats, which in turn means the elements are crystal clear. Z@p has a knack for making simple rhythms sound great, particularly during moments like when the drums splash back in after short instrumental breaks as on "Winter Nights" and the title track. The latter has a straightforward pattern—a regular kick drum, claps on the two and four, offbeat hats and shakers—but they work together in an engrossing, driving and groovy way that can be frustratingly hard to achieve when you bang the same notes onto a MIDI grid. It takes a lot of experience to achieve such effective simplicity and a clearly executed vision.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Freq From D A2 Winter Nights B1 Mayday
RA