::Depaart – Julian::
With releases on labels like Diynamic & Last Night On Earth, Spanish label-turned-party-turned-production-team Depaart arrive on Exploited Ghetto for the first time with some impressive pedigree.
Julian is a typically engrossing affair from this talented duo, fusing their house leanings with a heavy nod to 80s synth pop. Heavily reverbered drum hits and haunting atmospheres kick the track off in tandem with a nagging synth arpeggio which slowly filters into focus. A pitch-rising synth whirr signals the intensity is about to hit, and in slams a wiggling bass pulse, matching the melody of the synth in pleasingly juicy fashion. Delicate chime notes flit across the stereo field and next a counter melody cuts through the mix, teasing us with its brief appearance.
The dreamy breakdown comes across like a classic 90s ambient record, with a heavily disguised wind instrument sampled and replayed deep in the mix to add a hypnotic, indigenous feel. The track builds up unhurriedly from this moment of calm, the drum hits sounding huge when given more room to breathe. The pay-off is hugely rewarding as an octave-leaping riff slices through as the track drops. Another mini-break brings more tension, and gated synths stutter an old skool feel into the final section.
Depaart – the producers are Easy Kid and Fran Zaragoza, but they form part of a bigger collective who throw parties in Spain and release music on their own label. 2018 saw them relaunch their production offering, and the output continues to be hugely impressive.
