- Things invariably turn deep, suave and sophisticated when Giles Smith and Martin Dawson, AKA King Roc, pair up as Two Armadillos, and their newest 12-inch is no different. Picked up by Ben Watt's refined Buzzin' Fly label, this concise package offers the pair's deep and cosy original alongside Tobias' more hectic, subby, club-driven remix.
Furthering their string of impressive releases, the London duo continue to fuse their earnest love for all things deep and housey with techno influences. Indeed Smith, a self-confessed "obsessive house-head," often talks about the influential role that Chicago producers have played on his work. However, the man half responsible for London's popular summer outdoor parties, Secretsundaze, has always set out to put some of the warmth back into the music. The pair nail that quality with "Nostalgia." The track is steeped in TA's trademark groovy vibe, drifting with ease and a soulful sincerity from its casual beginning through to its contented end. The record's natural and effortless warmth seems to reach out of the speakers and touch the soul like wise words from caring elders. Understated but sublime, the track revels in its own simplicity whilst showcasing its intelligence in an assured style.
The serenity of the original is paired up with the more agitated, energetic remix from veteran German producer Tobias Freund. The bass manages to conjure up a sense of restlessness, well suited to dancefloor business. Philadelphia's acid virtuoso Josh Wink sums it up on the track's promo: "Tobias mix... rolling groove!"
So, just as seamlessly as Secretsundaze patched the UK's long-standing passion for deep house together with the innovations in European techno, so Two Armadillos provide a soundtrack with the same sentiment. With house in resurgence from Berlin to Bucharest, their time is surely now.
TracklistA Nostalgia (Original)
B Nostalgia (tobias. Remix)