- Warm and personal, this is one of Peter O'Grady's most adventurous records yet.
- Peter O'Grady seems to be in the midst of a creative update. His moves over the past couple years—from his Selectors compilation, to his EP with Ben Vince, the excellent 81b, the locked grooves on Poly Kicks, and the DJ sets and dates he's been playing—are suggestive of an artist who woke up one morning and thought, "Fuck it, I'm gonna do what I want." A reminder, should you need one: as Joy Orbison, Joy O and in collaboration with Boddika, O'Grady is considered one of the better club music producers to emerge from the UK in the past ten years. It's not like any of his recent moves have disavowed his back catalogue or completely departed from the dance floor. But the general vibe is of an artist who isn't making music with half an eye on club bookings, as it's so often necessary to do in dance music.
Of all O'Grady's recent work, the Slipping EP feels the most personal. There are the obvious things, like the photo of his nan on the record's sleeve and his dad's voice at the beginning of "W Dad." There are also the three featured collaborators, all of whom seem to be friends of O'Grady's. And then there is, of course, the music, six tracks that range in rhythm and tempo but share a sense of intimacy, as though recorded for a smoky lounge not a warehouse. "Under," which features the vocals of Keyah Blu, and "Walworth Waltz" with Infinite are both hazy headnodders that could be filed next to an artist like Klein, a big compliment if that wasn't clear. "Breathe In" is a close cousin of the killer "Coyp" from last year's 81b—I strongly hope O'Grady keeps exploring this strain of cold digital dancehall, it's working for him. "While She's Away," featuring Mansur Brown, is a nicely arranged post-Burial roller that becomes ruder as it progresses. The EP's straightest club cut, "Burn," might also be its least interesting. It has plenty of heat in its stepping beat, but the grand swells wind up mitigating the momentum.
Tracklist01. Burn feat. Infinite & Mansur Brown
02. Under feat. Keyah Blu
03. W Dad
04. Breathe In
05. Walworth Waltz feat. Infinite
06. While She’s Away feat. Mansur Brown