- Safe, pleasant and altogether boring: That's about all you can say about the first two tracks on AntonZap's newest 12-inch for the deep house revivalist imprint Quintessentials. If you haven't heard the likes of "Groovin'" and "Ain't Got Time" before, you've heard variants on the theme. They pump away with the best of 'em, but they lack any characteristics that would identify its maker. That might be the point, of course, though it seems like an odd one to make.
Especially in light of the B-side's masterful compositions. The unimaginatively titled "Deeper" does just that, lowering the groove to a level where you can't help but subconsciously move your brain/body to the up-tempo bounce that Zap lays down. "It's Your Wave Too" also bumps, dropping in light double-time percussion to keep things moving along underneath the surface. Unlike "Ain't Got Time," it's fleet-of-foot, leavening the fathoms-deep bassline. That's the main difference, in fact, between what works here and what doesn't: When Zap doesn't allow things to slow down to a snail's pace, his genre workouts sound invigorated—and strikingly individual.
Tracklist A1 Groovin
A2 Ain't Got Time
B1 Deeper
B2 It's Your Wave Too