- For an anonymous producer who has released an EP a year since 2012, there is still a surprising amount of interest in U's music. Which says something about its quality and inventiveness, especially given the number of dance floor experimentalists operating on similar shadowy wavelengths. After records on ManMakeMusic and Phantasy Sound, the Londoner continues his slow build with a 12-inch for Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour, and picks up right where Haven In A Heartfelt World left off nearly a year ago. We Decide Who Comes In makes the case that, despite his penchant for obscurity and raw mixdowns, U is an artist who belongs in the club.
Both "Our Place" and "Oma" are heads-down 4/4s embedded in grimy vinyl crackle, and yet remain distinctive from one another with dense synthscapes and a disco-hued glow respectively. While the opener is a seductively deep production, "Oma" stands out for the simple virtue of being a melodic—dare I say exuberant—piece of jacking house. Then there's "Easy Prayer," a drum-heavy whirlwind that spins erratically before settling into a textured ambient drift. U tries to temper his percussive assault with a steady pulse of blown-out rave stabs, and the trick just might work for adventurous dance floors. On the other hand, "Arcane Fantasy" is altogether unwieldy, closing We Decide Who Comes In with obtuse beats and unfurling synth notes. Its freeform deconstructions punctuate the EP like an ellipsis, alluding to the fact that U has yet to reveal the full extent of his vision.
Tracklist01. Our Place
02. Oma
03. Easy Prayer
04. Arcane Fantasy