Groove Armada sound like they are enjoying themselves during this stop-off at Hypercolour. A chance meet-up between Tom and Andy with label boss Jamie Russell at Space two years back has culminated in this EP of analogue funk and bass-drizzled house with a decidedly old school nuance.
Let's make this clear, this isn't GA in big room mode, although "There Was Rhythm" comes closest, morphing midway from its bouncing b-boy origins into Italo house, complete with hammered pianos. "Oh Tweak Me" is a more understated affair, all hissing percussion, parping bass, echoing handclaps and musical tics, like an oddly-strangulated cowbell.
The quaintly-titled "Stevie Latenight" settles into a deep, plink-plonk groove early on and stays there, around which GA build fuzzy hi-hats, Linn-style drums and a beat that sounds like it's rattling your mum's best china. "Luv 91" opens with doleful dubsteppish swells topped by a pitched-up vocal sample but then in saunters in-period keys that bubble about with a pop and ping. Rather than a case of big boys trying to show off all their weapons to a young label, No Knock proves that Groove Armada are just as happy being foot soldiers.
Buy Groove Armada - No Knock EP at
Tracklist: Groove Armada - No Knock EP
 A1 Oh Tweak To me
A2 Stevie Latenight
B1 There Was Rhythm
B2 LUV 91
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