Moodymanc - Father EP

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  • A handful of keyboard warriors gave Danny "Moodymanc" Ward a battering on the RA message boards after the release of his Black Paint single on Tsuba back in May. Not because of any opprobrium heaped on his music. No, because he had the temerity to adopt the name Moodymanc, and all the resonance that has with deep house deity, Moodymann. Sense of humour failures aside, the latest Moodymanc release (he's from Manchester, so it's good ol' northern England chutzpah, see?), is another showcase of Ward's predilection for classic, shuffling, groove-driven deep house. Ward—part of Ralph Lawson's esteemed 2020 Soundsystem crew—is a classically-trained percussionist, and that shines through on the title track. Around a repetitive motif that's not a million miles from Marshall Jefferson's "Move Your Body," Ward hangs on clipped wood blocks, crisp snares and the pitter patter of the balafon, the African xylophone. Accompanied by Jacuzzi-warm synth pads, it's a classical, Detroit-leaning, deep house sound. As if to nail down its old school credentials, "Father" gets a remix from Rick Wade. Funk guitar licks, a snaking bassline and a snatch of flute combine as Wade takes "Father" down the roller disco. Moodymanc's own "Sugar Hill" is a more menacing affair, riding in on a jacking groove of hi-hats, restrained handclaps and a repetitive vocal intoning "Cocaine... 2 AM... New York City." It's an EP that probably won't appeal to those more attuned to cleaner or more melody-driven European approaches, but if you like to lock yourself in and shuffle however...
  • Tracklist
      A1 Father B1 Father (Rick Wade's Daddy's Disco Mix) B2 Sugar Hill
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