V.A. Le Vibes & Pepper EP

Boutique French house label Vibes And Pepper has readied its next EP. This one is a Various Artist outing that pairs the new school talents of Tomska and New Jack City with the old school and enduring qualities of James Duncan and Jeremiah. Tomska has appeared on the label before back in 2012 with his Mental Raw EP, whilst New Jack City are Guido Verbaal & Rogier Verbaal, a fast rising duo with plenty to say for themselves and a recent release on Tomorrow is Now, Kid! As for James Duncan, he is a trumpet player, producer and improviser who has worked with Metro Area and Morgan Geist as well as for DFA Records over the course of the last 15 years. The final introduction brings us to Jeremiah; an Austrian who has been making house music since way back in the early nineties on labels including Balance Alliance, Grow! And Dee-Jay Recordings. James Duncan goes first with 'Track #2', a soulful affair with lazily jazzy chords and muffled vocals bottled up into a teasing house groove. The drums feel alive and the repeated melodic phrasing brings some nice tension to proceedings. Tomska's 'Stolen Moments' is a typically thick cut track with solid kick drums underpinning spoken word musings and colourful little melodies. It's physical and will make you dance without losing the important human connection. Jeremiah's 'Keep On' is much the same: this one has a classic feel to it, with warm pads softening the effect of busy, live sounding percussion. Some firing vocals help set the groove alight and re-call the classic days of 90s house with relying on the same tried tropes. Finally, 'Slow It Down' does not slow it down, but instead invites you to move your body with huge rubbery kick drums and shuffling claps. Dulcet vocal tones and garage-inflected percussion make this a hugely vibey affair to finish off another timeless house EP.