- Richard Davis' 2005 full-length, Details, is still held up by many as an exemplar of minimal house. But Davis has always operated slightly outside the scene that has embraced him the most. Details was a warm assemblage of glitch-laden house and honeyed vocals, acting as an antidote to the more clinical tracks that relied on melancholic pads and comic squelches for their emotion. That trend continues with Davis' newest EP, his debut release on his own Safer imprint.
The three songs found here all prominently feature Davis' vocals, and you can immediately tell their tenor simply from the song titles. "Gone Away," "Remind You," "What You Are." Davis has lost none of his penchant for melodic backing, as well. "Remind You" works a stuttered synth to the bone to ecstatic effect as Davis promises to remind you when you're "down on your knees" but coos ever so sweetly in the background all the while. "What You Are" is the obvious hit, though, pitching a cut-up orchestra against a blistering tech house beat. It sounds like it's been beamed in straight from 2005, but considering no one has bothered to explore this territory much since then, it sounds utterly fresh and beguiling. Like it did five years ago, Davis' outsider status once again gives him an edge in a scene all too content to follow the latest sound.
Tracklist A What You Are
B1 Remind You
B2 Gone Away