- Sprawling deep house tracks with the improvised feel of a live jam.
- As a producer, Theo Parrish has plenty of qualities worth talking about. For me, it's the organic deepness he manages to infuse his house tracks with, and the unique way he selects, manipulates and layers samples. His instinct as a curator and collaborator also stands out. As well as giving solo artists a space to thrive on his Sound Signature label, he's often played the role of orchestrator by bringing musicians and producers together for collaborative projects.
On What You Gonna Ask For, Parrish collaborates with a group of Melbourne-based musicians. Among them are three members of the neo-soul quartet Hiatus Kaiyote (Simon Mavin, Perrin Moss and Paul Bender). Silent Jay, who has previously appeared on Rhythm Section, plays the saxophone and Lori sings the lead. The result is an improvised live jam built around a simple piano riff. At ten minutes long, there's plenty of time to appreciate each musician's contribution—Lori's casual vocal delivery and Paul Bender's bass stand out particularly, as does the loose and dusty percussion.
But it doesn't rank among Parrish's most memorable tracks—after a couple of spins things become repetitive and you start to notice the lack of modulation and development. Dego's mix is hard to distinguish from the original, with the most noticeable difference coming in slightly more upfront percussion. That difference might be more obvious on a dance floor, but I'd go for Parrish's laidback, unquantised drums every time.
TracklistA What You Gonna Ask For (Theo's Mix)
B What You Gonna Ask For (Dego)