The mild quirk of OFF Recordings' previous release remains on its newest, DJ W!ld's Cubana EP. But whereas M.in and friends used New Orleans as a jumping off point to give us little more than a sampled lick and plenty of congas, W!ld transforms the similarly fashioned horns and guitar combo that leads the title track. Granted, he doesn't do much, but when he strips everything away aside from the plucked guitar you realize exactly how unfunky his source material is...before he brings the beat back to show how vital it is.
The pick of the litter here, though, is "You're in My Bones," which is groovy, dirty house music at its finest. Brothers' Vibe is an obvious reference point, considering how well W!ld does with a simple kick, a three note bassline and a syncopated synth line. It's filthy and lovely simultaneously.
W!ld's minimalistic streak continues apace on the B-side with "Reflexions De Mis Acciones," which features a drone that starts at the two minute mark and eventually takes over the track altogether. Filtering a swinging bassline and sonic delights every which way but straight ahead it almost breaks out into cliché, but is saved at the last minute by the conga-led beat. Andre Crom & David Pher tighten the screws in their remix of the same, cutting up a vocal and jacking the beat in a fashion that is both functional and fun. All in all, a nice rebound from a solid young imprint.
Buy DJ W!ld - Cubana EP at
Tracklist: DJ W!ld - Cubana EP
 A1 Cubana
A2 You're in My Bones
B1 Reflexions De Mis Acciones
B2 Reflexiones (Andre Crom & David Pher RMX)
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