- A world-class minimalist returns with a rare EP, which includes one exemplary workout.
- Almost exactly 20 years since he released "Feel Sensual," a track that marked the beginning of his long relationship with the label Perlon, Thomas Melchior returns with a new EP, his first for a few years, and a new label, My King Is Light. Crown shows that, two decades on, the basic building blocks of his style remain steady. Whether you want to call this stuff house, minimal or tech house, his approach is one of swing, reduction and subtle melody. Does this long line of continuity show a lack of ambition? Arguably. But there's something built into the DNA of this music—and the fact that he releases infrequently—that makes mere tweaks and refinements a satisfactory way for Melchior to do business.
There's actually some overlap in the specific sounds he uses on "Love," the A1, and on that old Perlon track. It's not a Spanish guitar but it has that feel, the part appearing after Melchior spends the track's first three minutes on a groove animated by a slippery phasing effect. The use of a short female vocal phrase ("It's you") is another similarity between the two, although this is a flourish Melchior has always been keen on, which this EP's other two tracks also demonstrate—"Fighter" with the Mortal Kombat-style "Fight!" line and a voice on "Gimme That Stuff" saying, well, "Gimme that stuff back."
The variable in the overall quality of these tracks is tied to how comfortably the melodies, another Melchior hallmark, sit atop his reliably solid grooves. "Love" comes with a lingering feeling that the combination doesn't quite mesh but is still worth checking out, while "Gimme That Stuff" does unfortunately sound like two incompatible halves melded together, the pads floating free from the influence of the beats. "Fighter" is less shaped by melodies but what's here works fantastically well. A nagging arpeggio and, most impressively, a late-arriving synth-string complete an exemplary Melchior workout, where each new bar brings a fraction more anticipation.
TracklistA1 Love
A2 Fighter
B1 Gimme That Stuff