- The working title of Dimitris Dimas' forthcoming album is Rejoice, which should tell you all you need to know about the tone of his music. The Athens producer debuted on Fourth Wave last year with the Skyway EP, a six-track statement of intent whose sample-led house style certainly didn't swim against the current. What set it apart was its unfailing breeziness; even weirder moments had a bright, fluffy quality that made for very pleasant listening.
For its followup, the two-track Caveman Escapades, Dimas plays things straighter. This turns out to be a bit of a mistake. "Caveman" pitches for a steely techno vibe. The clipped, interlocking chords are nice enough, but Dimas doesn't quite have the production chops to pull off something so straitlaced. As a result it occupies a frustrating halfway house, not rough enough to be endearing, but not full-bodied enough to sit alongside techno-proper. "Escapades" is a partial return to gauzier terrain. Its muzzy rave chords, bell tones and twitching beat evoke blissy '90s hardcore in a manner similar to Lone. There's an oddly subdued quality to it all, however, which means you might find your attention wandering before the four minutes are up.
TracklistA1 Caveman
B1 Escapades