Following releases from Kreon and Lemos, Equivalence returns for its third record with the jazz-infused crossover sound of Glacial. George Laimos (aka Lemos) and Ilan Manouach have spent years crafting a style that combines sultry live instrumentation with subtle electronics in a unique yet natural meeting point between tradition and innovation. In 2012 they released their defining moment to date, a long player on the Welcome To Masomenos helmed Hotel Costes series, while more recently they appeared on Six D.O.G.S with the Entropy EP. Opening this latest offering from the pair, ‘Hardcore Lounge’ is a defining track for the concept of Glacial, characterised by Manouach’s smoky horn tones calling out over a bed of intricate percussion and found sounds that capture the mood of a dimly lit speakeasy in a strange part of town. By way of contrast ‘Byron’s Groove’ lets the drums take the lead, laying down a delicate and expressive house groove with tribal undertones. The details and dynamics of the track build with a patient focus, creating an immersive atmosphere populated with alien frequencies. The ‘Dub Mix’ of ‘Hardcore Lounge’ completes the EP with a lopsided groove that nags at the brain while appealing to the body, pushing another tightly wound array of rhythmic elements that rub up against organic scrapes and shuffles in a most distinctive abstraction of contemporary dance music. With its fusion of human and electronic soul, this latest transmission from Glacial further establishes the duo as an exciting force within the more experimental corners of the house and techno community, paying respect to the music of the past while reaching forwards into previously unexplored territory. EP | 2016 | SOLD OUT
