::James Curd – High Tower::
James Curd continues his run of irresistible house-n-disco-with-a-pop-sensibility for Exploited with a superb new double-header, joined by a slew of top draw remixes.
‘High Tower’ sets its intent with a techy sound palette and rhythmic wiggle, with muted synth tones jauntily set atop shuffling percussion. The introduction of a slinky disco bassline and falsetto vocals twists the track in another direction though, and soon the soaring vox push the track into a classic house direction. This seamless blend of organic and synthetic keeps building, with a succinct synth arpeggio adding more wiggle to the groove still. A female vocal — or is it the original vocal that was pitched down a second ago? — brings the classy feel back, and the incessant groove is augmented by subtle string sustains and cymbal rides to complete a deceptively infectious track.
‘Shaun Said’, meanwhile, is a moody instrumental track that takes a similar array of textures and turns them into something more introspective. Analog-flavoured drum work underpins swirls of churning bass and jazzy chord stabs in this dreamy little number.
