- Deep, catchy and left of center club music.
- London-based producer Tom Place's latest EP, on Childsplay, offers four deep, imaginative club cuts. The EP is more minimal than usual for Childsplay, but it has that hyper infectious, driving-but-playful nature typical of the cult label's style. This EP, neither electro or techno, pushes the limits of genre, skirting the edges of acid, bass, breaks, electro and even pop. Though it may be tricky to figure out which box In2me checks, that hardly matters considering how inventive, spacious and captivating these tracks are. It feels like a new take on broken leftfield club music.
The cuts on In2me may be melodic and sparse at times, but they're still propulsive. The opening track "Push U Away" invites the listener in with rounded kicks and a bouncy acid line, with euphoric vocals lending it all a pop-tinged glow. In "Left Of Center," a metallic, off-kilter melody and reverberating bass squelches converge to make everything feel a bit woozy. One of the most immersive cuts on the EP is the aptly named "Liberation (Deep Sea Mixxx)," a dubby track with seductive acid lines and a deep house atmosphere, without ever falling into one style.
This idea is central to the EP as a whole: ambiguous in terms of genre but executed with a melodic quality that feels familiar. Although it's hard to pick a standout track, the title track the catchiest, with a hyperpop-esque vocal about "going deep" that dances around a wonky bassline and an electro rhythm. The EP closes with the dreamy "Calling," where echoing vocals weave around dual melodies: one punchy and bubbly, the other horn-like and subdued. In2me is a potent example of the new and ever-changing hybridized sounds that land somewhere between the disparate worlds of driving electro, UK club music and effusive pop.
Tracklist01. Push U Away
02. Left Of Center
03. Liberation (Deep Sea Mixxx)
04. In2me
05. Calling