Last Magpie - AdLibitum EP

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  • Craig McNamara's production career is still in its infancy—AdLibitum is only the Yorkshireman's fourth release as Last Magpie—but it's already starting to sound fully formed. This is house music with a satisfying bite—meaty, sometimes bouncy, often moody. The title track is in the latter camp, beginning with a deep sweep of synths and Burial-style muted vocals before settling into a beautifully stark house shuffle, which is driven by a mammoth kick/bass combo. "Empire" picks up the pace but maintains the spartan approach with its pared-back snares and wobbling analogue bass, reminiscent of McNamara's labelmate Huxley. Last Magpie has adopted a rather brazen approach to sampling in the past (hence the name) but it's only on "Leavin' Me" that it's especially transparent. In this case it's a vocal snippet from early house classic "Weekend" by Class Action, which is worked expertly into a garage-leaning jam. The garage influences are pushed even further to the foreground on "Still Walking," which splices a burbling bassline to cowbells and stabbed keys doused in echo.
  • Tracklist
      01. AdLibitum 02. Empire 03. Leavin’ Me 04. Still Walking
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