Rick Wade - The Mack Of Moscow

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  • Rick Wade's trump card is consistency. Some may lay claim to bigger hits, others to greater versatility, but surely Wade stands on a par with anyone when it comes to consistency. Rarely straying from his formulaic safe-haven when producing deep house, longevity has been achieved through quality rather than vision, and to boast a discography as unfalteringly rich in melody is—homogeny aside—no mean feat. Unsurprisingly, then, his new EP for Shanti is pretty classic. Perhaps it's the attention to detail that allows Wade to keep sounding fresh. There's a lingering attack on the third of every four bass hits in "Need You Back," for example, that is the anchor of his arrangement. It's subtle, but it's the bridge between the track's conflicting melancholy and cheer: blue chords and an upbeat rhythm engulfed in union by one deep whoosh. It's a playful juxtaposition, and one which is exploited further in "Big Score." The beats are once again stomping, the melody achingly shimmy, but that semi-staccato bass is unmistakably light-hearted, preventing an over-indulgence of emotion for what is, in fact, highly efficacious house music. Despite losing some of the edge on final track, "Pleasure Craft," which—though not completely without its cowbell-infused charms—veers a step too far into lounge territory, it's very much business as usual for Wade on The Mack of Moscow, and long may it remain so.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Need You Back A2 Big Score B Pleasure Craft
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