- Lean tools from a tech house specialist.
- The Greek producer John Dimas has dabbled in various styles of house since his first release in 2009. His first Bass Culture record explored big-room tech-house, while later works for labels like raum...musik, Metereze and Elephant Moon explored rich textures and syncopated percussion. His latest offering, a four-tracker called 5p@c3 T@lk for Half Baked's tenth anniversary series, works with an in-vogue palate of old-school drum machine sounds, wiggy effects and rolling bass groans.
Tracks like "@rkyn" won't scratch the itch for fans of Dimas's heavier and more immersive grooves. Rather than feeling physical, its gentle broken beat, skyward-bound pads and wafting keys feel light and airy. The other tracks, "5putn1k" and "5p@c3 T@lk," have more substantial rhythms, hewn from salty drum samples. Grumbling low-ends drive the spring-loaded four-on-the-floor patterns, a reliable recipe. "5putn1k" is a shade more banging, thanks to a tighter off-beat hi-hat and its main melodic motif, a panned horn that pops out of the mix with a "Ta-da!" fanfare. 5p@c3 T@lk is drier than most of Dimas's discography, highlighting his ability to whip up solid tools with diverse palates.
TracklistA1 5Putn1K
A2 @l5D
B1 5P@c3 T@lk
B2 @rkyn