- Rupert Taylor, who since 2009 has been exploring the bassier end of 4/4 as xxxy, has long displayed a soft spot for the techy. Not so on the Everything EP. Well Rounded and its sublabels have fast become go-to sources for music that's just a little too weird to call house, and xxxy occupies this space perfectly: turning his impulse for weird techno hybrids on brighter house textures, he offers up three thoroughly enjoyable—and surprisingly subtle—party cuts.
"Kicking off" hardly seems to describe how the EP starts: with "Everything," xxxy is immediately in full party mode, smashing his hi-hats and vamping hard on fat chords. It's an anthem you'd be hard-pressed to move on from, but the two cuts that accompany it do plenty to command your attention. "I Know This Can't Be Love" stomps harder than "Everything" despite being inflected with more than a hint of the downtrodden. "I Can't Stop" may be the collection's most impressive production, where ultra-spacious synths envelop a percussive core that strikes straight at the chest. Everything EP has no interest in chin-scratching, but the little things xxxy does—sophisticated rhythmic interplay, slight knob tweaks, unexpected breakdowns—may very well sneak up on you… long after the party's passed, of course.
Tracklist A1 Everything
A2 I Know This Can't Be Love
B I Can't Stop