Though most of us rightly associate the label run by Catz N Dogz as a home for bumping house music, U Know Warsoul digs beyond the sound into the duo's local Warsaw scene. This EP puts the spotlight on two artist collectives from the Polish capital, Warsoul and U Know Me, who are more influenced by soul and hip-hop than Pets Recordings' usual 4/4 beats. The four-tracker is a gateway into an otherwise overlooked scene, and it turns out to be a tantalizing primer.
U Know Warsoul is more than just a handful of cherry-picked tracks—each one was made specifically for the compilation. This is most apparent on Archeo's "Warsoul," a beautiful and heartfelt cross-crew tribute with direct (but sometimes clumsy) lyrics that embody the respect and creativity of the Warsaw community. It's an intriguing blend of textures—almost like slowed-down skwee, with its staggering piano and stuttering drums—and the vocal performance is fantastic, a far cry from the amateur soul of so much dance music. Trading English for Polish, Envee's "Kali" feels no less emotional, even if you can't understand the lyrics. This one's a storming dub track with well-placed bass wobbles and tasteful trumpet playing. Along with the ultra hi-fi production values, the free-floating piano breakdown and soaring vocals seal the deal.
Teielte & Sonar Soul's "Saturn," a rattling instrumental with drill and bass-influenced percussion, is another tribute to Warsoul from U Know Me—think trap but with quieter drum sounds. Adorned with strings and electric keys, it's another slice of dazzling and lifelike electronic music that comes together beautifully. Only "Sweet Slang" falls short of the mark. It's a rather safe attempt at hip-hop, with goofy lyrics and an all-too-familiar backing track that recalls early Flying Lotus. A brave and mostly successful move for Pets, the biggest problem with the U Know Warsoul EP is that it's not a full-length compilation.
U Know Warsoul is more than just a handful of cherry-picked tracks—each one was made specifically for the compilation. This is most apparent on Archeo's "Warsoul," a beautiful and heartfelt cross-crew tribute with direct (but sometimes clumsy) lyrics that embody the respect and creativity of the Warsaw community. It's an intriguing blend of textures—almost like slowed-down skwee, with its staggering piano and stuttering drums—and the vocal performance is fantastic, a far cry from the amateur soul of so much dance music. Trading English for Polish, Envee's "Kali" feels no less emotional, even if you can't understand the lyrics. This one's a storming dub track with well-placed bass wobbles and tasteful trumpet playing. Along with the ultra hi-fi production values, the free-floating piano breakdown and soaring vocals seal the deal.
Teielte & Sonar Soul's "Saturn," a rattling instrumental with drill and bass-influenced percussion, is another tribute to Warsoul from U Know Me—think trap but with quieter drum sounds. Adorned with strings and electric keys, it's another slice of dazzling and lifelike electronic music that comes together beautifully. Only "Sweet Slang" falls short of the mark. It's a rather safe attempt at hip-hop, with goofy lyrics and an all-too-familiar backing track that recalls early Flying Lotus. A brave and mostly successful move for Pets, the biggest problem with the U Know Warsoul EP is that it's not a full-length compilation.
-
Published /
Thu / 30 Oct 2014 -
Words /
Andrew Ryce -
-
-
Tracklist /
A1 Teielte & Sonar Soul - Saturn
A2 Envee - Kali
B1 Archeo - Warsoul (Cleansing Transients)
B2 Innocent Sorcerers - Sweet Slang feat. Coultrain, Black Spade & Perpetual
Comments loading