- East London Club Trax: White Labels 1 compiles highlights from four previously released 12-inches by London DJ/producer Alex Deamonds. They span about two years, presenting a cross-section of UK dance music with a taste for drums and deconstruction. Divergence is rare, though, and it often comes with the melodic touches Deamonds gives these percussive workouts.
Lots of what Deamonds does here—including two co-productions with label affiliate Dean Lyon—brinks on overindulgence, but he never quite crosses the line. A tune that lifts the well-worn bassline from Daniel Bedingfield's "Gotta Get Thru This" shouldn't work as well as "Through" does, but a bit of restraint and hard-slapping 909 patterns can apparently go a long way. Unexpectedly soft around the edges, "Heart Armour" is bleary-eyed without becoming sentimental, thanks once again to Deamonds' confidently erratic drum programming. His unflinching focus on beats doesn't always work out, though: "Casio Destruct" wastes a handful of good sequences on its directionless structure, and while "We're What's Been Missing" is a promising techno hybrid at first, its central idea feels lackluster before too long. But a couple of near misses isn't a big issue on an otherwise versatile and forward-thinking record.
Tracklist01. (Nu Skool) Deep House Sample Pack
02. Casio Destruct
03. Air Max '97
04. Through
05. Glandular Fever
06. Heart Armour
07. We're What's Been Missing feat. Dean Lyon
08. Untitled feat. Dean Lyon