Efde My Bleep

Efde's first release on Voyage Direct. Here he gets a chance to showcase his trademark sound on an expansive, four-track E.P for the Amsterdam-based label. Some may be familiar with Efde’s work through his occasional 12-inch singles for Nordik Netrecords and Soweso, where he distilled a variety of influences – think dreamy, ultra-deep house, the Chicago bump of Chez Damier, and the sci-fi pulse of Detroit – into tracks that had a distinctive vibe all of their own. “My Bleep” is arguably his most stunning production yet: a spine-tingling re-imagining of Detroit futurism built around sparkling, intertwined melody lines, dusty drum machine rhythms, hissing hi-hats and throbbing, analogue bass. While a thing of rare beauty, it also comes blessed with moments of sweaty percussive intensity, with stacked snare hits that increase in energy as the track progresses. The original’s inherent beauty is emphasized further on the accompanying “Ambient Mix”, which recalls the glory days of Pete Namlook’s FAX Records in the early 1990s. There’s more far-sighted dancefloor futurism to be found on the flip, where the spacey chord progressions, sprightly synth-bass and restless rhythms of “Just Did It” capture the spirit of both the Motor City, and the classic UK techno-funk of Dave Angel and Luke Slater. A fine EP is completed by the ultra-deep shuffle of “CMP135”, which successfully draws on Efde’s love of bumpin’ U.S deep house whilst retaining the intergalactic sounds that are such a key part of the Dutchman’s club-ready productions.