Various Artists - Alpha EP (Elements Records)
Bonzai are proud to welcome Elements Records as part of their ever expanding label family. Portuguese outfit Elements Records will no doubt be another main player in the world of deep, dark, and tribal-esque tech beats. To mark this new venture we have a superb three tracker entitled "Alpha EP" with tracks from three top notch Portuguese producers hailing out of.
First up is Pedro Goya with "How Soon You Forget". Pedro has been responsible for a slew of stunning works across many labels including Eyepatch Recordings, Bonzai Basiks, Piston Recordings, Bonzai Elemental and Moma. But most notably he has carved a solid niche from within his own label Troia Recordings, which he launched in 2007 and is still going strong today. This track delves straight into the darker side with muted kicks and distant percussions alongside a deep rising pad that gets you hooked from the off. The track continues to build with an expertly crafted myriad of percussive elements that add a strangely tribal feeling, top notch stuff.
Fragoso is up next with the awesome "Profundo". Lisbon based Fernando Fragoso has been developing his own techno and house styles since 2000. He has been a regular feature on many labels including AU Records, Bonzai Basiks, Mint & Mustard, Howz Choons, Monog Records and Bonzai Progressive. The track intros with a fantastic spoken vocal with whispering tones, in the background an amazingly lush deep synth fades through accompanied with sweeping FX. A nice and solid chunky kick blends in perfectly before more noted synths start to fill the sound. Cool hats and percussions form a steady rhythm as the vocal resonates before breaking down to just the voice and swirly sounds. The vibe kicks back into a full on deep and dark house groove that will be a feature on many playlists for sure, excellent stuff!
Luis Bravo rounds up this stunning EP with "Lotus". Luis is another top rated Portuguese producer with releases across various labels such as Bonzai Progressive, Bonzai Basiks, Eyepatch Recordings, Nouzone Music, Minar Records and most notably Monog Records. "Lotus" intros with a smooth kick and bass combi while a cool percussion arrangement builds into flowing rhythms. Wonderful synths play out a hypnotic groove alongside a brilliantly tweaked vocal sample. The track boasts an awesome array of blips and blops that adds textures to a tightly arranged composition. Deep and dark and a must for any late night session.
