Anthony Naples - Us Mix

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  • Beneath the muck and grit that covers much of Anthony Naples' music, classic house occasionally surfaces. "Faceless," a crumpled yet concussive disco house track from 2013's RAD-AN1, called back to Cajual and Relief. "Smacks" captured the sensual essence of acts like Mood II Swing. On such tracks, Naples salvaged previous eras from gnarled fragments. But on Us Mix, the New York-based producer's first EP of 2017, the music is assembled from more intact slabs of dance music's past. "At Ease" is a cornerstone of Naples' change of approach. Elegant pianos slide over a vintage bassline that recalls Nu Yorican Soul or The Burrell Brothers. Us Mix is Naples' most party-centric 12-inch since his debut, Mad Disrespect. It's carefree and uplifting, though the nervous energy of tracks like "Zipacon" and "Crazy Spirit" hasn't left entirely. The glassy melody on "Sky Flowers" is scrubbed by dense synth blasts, while decaying snares lend fibrous texture. Sour, John Carpenter-style synths rise over "Seello"'s disco-style hand drums and organ keys. Naples smudges these tracks more subtly than usual. You might not guess "Sky Flowers" was his. The producer's fingerprints on the flat disco-house of "Us Mix"—it could remind you of Soundstream—are more difficult to detect. As a result, it's Us Mix's only so-so track.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Sky Flowers A2 Seello B1 At Ease B2 Us Mix
RA