Hafendisko serve up the first of two mouth-wateringly delicious EPs from Yannick Labbé - best
known for his work as part of Trickski and a long
association with the Jazzanova-Compost axis. It's a hypnotic brew of deeply seductive house direct from his base on Hamburg's Seilerstraße.
'All Of It', a slow-house burner, contrasts nebulous vocals with crisp percussive elements, sustained sub bass and synth pings that pulse around the stereo field to conjure a hazy atmosphere. Montreal's Zach Joss, aka Forrest, showcases an extraordinary vocal range - breathy, distorted and androgynous in turns.
On remix duty, Borrowed Identity consolidates his
growing reputation with a re-work that underpins
the tune with a rubbery bounce and insistent pulsing bass. Dancefloor-ready yet meditative, tough yet tender, it's a remix that bends the original in new directions while respecting its emotional core.
For his mix, Leipzig lynchpin Filburt demonstrates a musical sensibility honed in the DJ booth: seductive, deadly deep and hauntingly hypnotic, with an added funky edge to the closing minutes. The playful 'Du!' rounds things off: underpinned by a swarming, hypnotic repetition, a simple vocal line intones the title to work a mysterious and wilfully strange magic.