Scuba expounds on this years ‘Triangulation’ release with a forthcoming 12″ on his own HotFlush label.
Side A of the release is ‘Three Sided Shape,’ originally released as the third track of ‘Triangulation.’ A deeply melodic tune featuring a slowly sweeping atmosphere over filtered drums before dropping into hefty and ringed-out kick that marks what is easily one of my favorite drops of the year. Marked with dense vocal layers and panning rhythmic effects. As to be expected by anything coming from Scuba’s studio, ‘Three Sided Shape’ pays strict attention to detail creating a tune that is deep both for the soundsystem and the psyché alike.
The flip side of the release sees a remix of ‘Latch’, the preceding tune to ‘Three Sided Shape’ on the ‘Triangulation’ release. Scuba has tapped the efforts of Aus Music label head Will Saul, and house/techno producer Mike Monday who describes his sound as ‘a bit like Prince getting drunk with Mr Scruff in Royksopps house.’ While devoid of Prince’s trademark blistering guitar speed, Saul and Monday combine to give ‘Latch’ a fresh rework, preserving the smooth pads that marked the selection’s ambience while reworking the percussion and arrangement to give the tune an upbeat house vibe one expects from the Aus Music family of releases. A completely new aesthetic is given to the track, while still feeling distant at times like the original, the strong emphasis on booming house percussion here keep the track high-energy throughout the entire track.
Markedly less minimal than what most critics give credit for, this release re-emphasizes the producer’s current explorations of melody in modern bass music under his the ‘Scuba’ moniker. This release is slated for release both vinyl and digital on Sept 27.