It wasn't long ago that Mark Evetts decided he'd had enough of doing edits. Or more fairly, using samples really well; the very skill which had individuated him since 2005. The result of that decision was Stone Breaker, his debut LP and initial foray into from-scratch production. Which brings us to Oranges; a 12-inch containing two cuts?one lifted from Stone Breaker?and delivered a year after the fact.
Evetts' tack here is reminiscent of Steffi—smooth, Chicago-inflected house with a flawless modern sheen. The original version of "Oranges" is set atop a catchy but unassertive bass groove. From end to end, this sequence anchors various other hooks, which patiently take turns in the limelight. Most of the action is in the mid-section, where benign keyboards, pedestrian hand drums and pitch-bent, quasi-acid chords play together in harmony. But the track's real character is in the top end, where brightly-hued chords streak overhead, bestowing a sense of utter calm. These synths are mostly kept intact for "Oranges (Space Dub)," a track which feels weirdly ambivalent. In place of the wandering bass motif, there's an impelling rhythm section, but its momentum is muzzled by the placid harmonies in which it's immersed. As a result, it feels like riding a rocket in a dream, with all the danger and noise excised but the wonder and thrill remaining. Neither cut uses samples. Clearly, Evetts has plenty to show the world yet.
Buy Mark E - Oranges at
  
Tracklist: Mark E - Oranges
 A Oranges
B Oranges (Dub)
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