Theo Parrish In Motion

Theo Parrish is one of those characters who manages to unite lovers of both house and techno, indeed producing offerings that seem to make the distinction utterly redundant. How does he doe it? Well, if this pair of new tracks are anything to go on, it's the simple trick of making tracks that combine the soufulness and rootsy earthiness of house with a trippy sense of the futuristic and psychedelic that elevates them out of the ordinary. Take, for instance 'In Motion's simple piano stabs and the subsequent off kilter groove that builds up around them. Or, equally, the cheeky bass keyboard manoeuvres that form the backbone of 'Don't Play' featuring Ava, funky enough to be Stevie Wonder but then matched with caustic, scything hi-hats that have more than a hint of the surreal and robotic about them. Best of all, it doesn't feel like a compromise, it feels like a full on creation that acknowledges both traditions but refuses to follow either slavishly.