DJ Perception - Future Horizons

  • A compelling voice in modern UK garage returns with three tracks of the good stuff.
  • Share
  • DJ Perception's tracks—both the kind he makes and the kind he plays out—have a timeworn, hard-to-place feel to them. Listening through his dubplate-loaded RA Podcast, you'd have a difficult time picking out what could be new exclusives or rare records from the days of yore. His new EP for Timehri, a promising new London label from DJ T Dunn, features three tracks that hit the elusive sweet spot between classic and clever. The EP begins with "Know Your Name," whose lolling organ chords and relatively straightforward beat recall the mid-'90s US antecedents that would later drive the development of garage—think Kerri Chandler. But Perception puts a signature touch on the sound with his brilliant snare work. His percussion tends to wriggle and dance within the confines of straightforward rhythmic patterns, a detail-oriented touch that makes his tracks stand apart. "Obsessed" fast forwards a few years with a distinct UK garage skip. Knife-sharp percussive touches duel with two different kind of organ melodies—one lead, one bassline. This is rich, musical stuff. Perception rounds off the EP on a collaboration with London guitarist Fitz, whose bluesy licks are like gentle brush strokes against the fulsome rhythm. The bassline here is extra heavy, like it's trying upend everything around it. The two artists cook into a nice simmer over "Groove Me"'s five minutes. Soulful, minimal and timeless, Future Horizons makes the case for DJ Perception as one of UK garage's most vital talents, with both past and future in firm grip.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Know Your Name B1 Obsessed B2 Groove Me feat. Fitz
RA