- Harry Agius hits right in the feels on his most direct EP to date.
- When Harry Agius released The Alchemy of Circumstance back in 2019, he had something to prove—less to himself and more to the people still expecting him to play "Final Credits" at every DJ gig. What came of that was an EP "bursting with colour and zany sounds," in the words of RA's Carlos Hawthorn, as the UK producer pushed himself as far away as possible from his disco house hit. Four years on, his latest EP "You Never Take Me Dancing" feels much more collected than its predecessor. It seems Agius' concerns about being pigeon-holed have evaporated: things are flowing in the studio and he's honing his voice, resulting in some of his most touching tracks to date.
The two big tunes here are "Drift Into The Algorithm" and the title track. The former feels like the ultimate Midland elixir, as rippling, techy grooves and weird stuttering voices spiral into glistening melodic whirlpools—the kind of spell-binding trickery he pulls in his DJ sets, bottled and sealed into five minutes. By comparison, "You Never Take Me Dancing" is more of a hands-in-the-air moment, but that's not to say it's one of meaningless elation either. There's real melancholy and catharsis in its prancing melody—the swoop between those major and minor chords—which winks at a desire for light-hearted fun in a relationship (as in the title), but also a yearning for someone to stick around afterwards, too.
Just like his previous EP, colour is still a major theme on "You Never Take Me Dancing," albeit with shadowy bits in the mix as well. "Side Gurn," a fizzing tool-style track that recalls Special Request's 2019 banger "SP4NN3R3D," is the EP's most kaleidoscopic, technicolour tune. (It's also the fastest.) At the other end of the spectrum, "Strangers On A Train" brings the EP to a close with some introspective electro, befitting the film noir it's named after. Whether in his productions or as a DJ, Midland has always remained unfussy about outsider perspectives and that attitude is ever-present on You Never Take Me Dancing, Midland in his purest form.
Tracklist01. Drift Into The Algorithm
02. Side Gurn
03. You Never Take Me Dancing
04. Strangers On A Train