- "Short and Punchy" reads the headline on Oliver $' MySpace, and it serves well to sum up his music. ‘Hotflash,’ his new single on Jesse Rose's vinyl-only Made to Play label, is very much an update on the jacking sample-based house of Chicago. This isn't some revivalist knock off however: there's plenty here for today's forward thinking clubs to get their teeth into.
The title track (which featured on Rose's excellent Body Language mix from last year) comes out the traps with a twisted bass groove that's gloriously infectious. Further catchy bits come courtesy of warm chords and fractured vocals, while the dance-floor will appreciate the heavy beat and numerous mini-breakdowns. The track is extremely hyperactive, but focused on the groove enough for DJs to drop in today's deeper climate. ‘Rib It’ bumps along similar lines, this time with the breakdown provided by a jazz sample that makes for an equally memorable result.
Both tracks obviously take pride in not sticking around too long, but there's nothing dumb here. They are both built for maximum dance-floor effect, with Oliver $ knowing exactly when to take things out and when to bring them back in. The edits are also particularly well done, sharp and spontaneous sounding without reaching Justice overload territory. A great release from a great label.
TracklistA Rib-it
AA Hotflash