- Phil Evans is at the centre of a new wave of producers from Germany's Rhine-Main area, and his productions routinely rank among the best in a busy market. Evans worked at one of Frankfurt's key record stores, Freebase, until its closure last year. He then moved to its spiritual successor, Gosu, which has a label that is four releases deep. Then there's Pager Records, another label Evans runs with Markus Sommer. Needless to say, Evans is busy.
He might be fresh blood, but raum...musik represents Frankfurt's old guard. Saniti, where the playful quirks of the former are balanced by the steady flow of the latter, shows their common ground. The title track is surprisingly tender for Evans. He's played with these moods before, but nervous bleeps have cloaked their vulnerability. The higher of the two lead lines in "Nennse" recalls Mika Vainio's Philus project with the purity of its tone and drifting pitch and reverb. Foreboding chords contribute to the trepidation, but the heavily swinging drums and bass make the track inviting. It's spacious by Evans' standards, but "B Low" is sucked tight like a vacuum. The low-end is very low, and although its lead line and chords offer hints of classic house warmth, it's also stripped and focused. Evans can make tracks with more flair, but this EP's restraint is striking.
TracklistA1 Saniti
B1 Nennse
B2 B Low