- Drill meets amapiano on another prime SVBKVLT batch of forward-thinking dance music.
- Jamie Charlton, AKA Swimful, has been quietly pushing the boundaries of hybrid club music, with releases that combine grime, gqom, footwork, dubstep and ambient. The SVBKVLT member's thoughtful compositions balance frosty melodies with jagged bass riffs and snaking, syncopated drums. It's both heavy-hitting and reflective. While his productions aren't always linear, there's an underlying beat-driven focus that distinguishes his work from the deconstructed, disorienting tunes that the rest of the SVBKVLT roster is known for.
The Shanghai resident's latest EP, Rushlight, is a striking combination of South African and UK styles. Built on amapiano's signature log drum patterns, ghostly synth stabs, skittery snares and hints of UK drill, these five tracks are as deadly as they are emotive. "Viatica" and "Translation to Heaven" are both playful, with slow, delightful build-ups of textural details like whistles and dripping noises, creating intrigue at every step. Ikonika's remix of the latter elaborates on the original's cheeky nature by adding influences of dembow, bright keys and layered synth lines with a poppy touch. "Official Party Line" is the EP's shortest track, but a clear highlight for its emotional intensity. The glistening synths, sliding 808s and background vocals are compelling enough on their own, but they're just begging for an MC's verse.
Rushlight marks a milestone in Charlton's discography. It showcases his understanding of global club genres, his hip-hop background and his knack for subtle, eccentric experimentation that doesn't take attention away from the record's potency. An innovative EP that nods to the bassy modulations of Night Slugs and Hakuna Kulala, Rushlight is Charlton at his most refined and polished.
Tracklist01. Viatica
02. Translation To Heaven
03. Official Party Line
04. Backwards
05. More Distant On Approach
06. Translation To Heaven (Ikonika Remix)
07. More Distant On Approach (Phelimuncasi Remix prod. by DJ Scoturn)