- Even though it has been running for an entire decade, Yamazaki Hiro's Soundofspeed imprint has kept its output levels at a slow and steady level, choosing to release full-length efforts from a network of producers that Hiro has made connections with during his time spent promoting in Tokyo. Although the general focus has been on downtempo and ambient music up until now, the label's upcoming Circles collection sees producers such as Shur-i-kan, Kuniyuki, Lee Jones and Luke Vibert all flex their respective house-flavoured styles, with the latter two taking up space on the compilation's first vinyl sampler.
Jones' recent Yoyo EP for Cityfox displayed the darker and more taut side of his sound, but his material for Circles heads in exactly the opposite direction, exploring a lush jazzy vibe. While the lush and dreamy synth motifs of "Fuchskaffe" drift more than satisfactorily over the top of its loose and relaxed minimal house vibe, A-side "Two in One" is the most ear-grabbing cut of the two, utilising a English version of Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas" to transition between two entirely different tracks. Its restrained nature on either side of the main sample means that it's never going to become a peak-time anthem, but DJs looking for a quirky and melodically refined cut to spice up their warm-up or after hours sets should certainly seek this one out. A particularly interesting production nuance rears its head in the second half of the track, with Jones taking the vinyl crackle from the sampled recording and looping it to give an additional rhythmic edge to the bumping deep house groove.
The real show stealer of this 12-inch—and the main reason that I've been returning to it frequently over the past few weeks—is the Vibert cut tagged onto the end of the B-side. As its title suggests, "Majacid" sees the Cornish producer continue his aural obsession with the TB-303, but it's anything but a purely nostalgic exercise. It may have an infectious wiggling acid line and raw Chicagoan percussion to match, but Vibert's playful melodic counterpoint and efficient usage of the track's additional elements (such as the surging synth pad specifically sculpted for maximum serotonin release) are what really make it stand out from the classic acid of the late '80s. The only reason why "Majacid" might not be picked up by as many people as it should is its length, with its short but sweet four minute duration bound to give lazy or less technically adept DJs a stressful time behind the decks. Nevertheless, this one is a nice little dance floor weapon that's likely to have as much longevity as the Roland instrument that allowed its creation.
Tracklist A Lee Jones – Two In One
B1 Lee Jones - Fuchskaffe
B2 Luke Vibert - Majacid