Dewalta - Hide and Seek

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  • Every producer has their story; countless hours toiling away foregoing friends, lovers and gainful employment to hone their sound, to perfect their craft. David Koch's story is that he was a classically trained jazz musician, which admittedly isn't the most thrilling narrative but goes some way to explaining why he's not put a foot wrong since his debut release a little over a year ago. In fact, if you listen hard enough you can hear the heart of that training pulsing through his tracks. It's just after 30 seconds into the start of "Crachin" that DeWalta lets his Nordish lead wail, setting the pace for three tracks of impeccable Detroit tech house by way of Berlin. (Isn't most of it these days?) "Crachin" is driven by a stock solid groove, the robust beats alive with ghost notes firing off all over the place and adding considerable depth to what sounds relatively straightforward otherwise. A hypnotic two-fingered stab runs through the length of the track, whilst incidental timpani drums lend a slightly grand feel. In the opening few bars of "For Hawkins" there's a tenuous likeness to Aril Brikha's "Groove La Chord" shuffle mix, but—before you can say controversy—the track heads for house waters. Horns and murmured vocal melodies in tow, the track sports one of those killer nothing-to-it basslines that doesn't just hold the track together, but actually makes your body uncontrollably jack. Closing things out, the title track seems a trifle formulaic with a very familiar sounding chord line, one that winds up before easing off, etc. But then it's hard to fault familiarity when it's produced so well; it's a straight-up house standard, with many of the classic elements assembled and a fitting way to round off another fine release from DeWalta.
  • Tracklist
      A Crachin B1 For Hawkins B2 Hide and Seek
RA