Midland's return to Aus Music following last's year collaboration with Ramadanman marks a distinct change in tone for the Leeds-based producer. With "Your Words Matter" you felt elated, buoyant, even a little naughty for enjoying such a cheekily chopped and overtly uplifting vocal. By contrast "Through Motion," is threatening, downcast and moody; like a teenager who's been smoking way too much skunk to even consider leaving his room, the pitched-down mutterings of "you start to believe your own lies" echoing loud and true in his paranoia-ridden brain. But in its claustrophobic darkness lies its brilliance and it is ultimately a deeply satisfying piece of music, the female "hold me'" vocal piercing the gloom with a ray of hope.
"Shelter" delves even deeper into self-reflection, its ominous vocal utterances and spooky percussion underpinned with a single repeating bass note that sounds like a shark slowly circling its prey. It's a pretty edgy but entirely immersive experience, one that leaves you craving more of the same, even if it wasn't an entirely comfortable eight minutes.
For his remix of "Through Motion," Tevo Howard doesn't deviate a whole lot from the original, the most noticeable change being his omission of the wandering bassline in favour of a muted 303 that meanders for the duration and sounds pretty pleasant, but the result is so similar to the original that you can't help but wish he'd done a little more with the material at hand.
Tracklist: Midland - Through Motion EP
A1 Through Motion
B1 Shelter
Digital: Through Motion (Tevo Howard Remix)
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