Moodtrap At Juno Download

Review: This is the third EP from Tsuba's resident "men of mystery", Mood Trap. Supposedly the "old skool house influenced" side project of "two famous producers", the Mood Trap releases to date have joined the dots between drowsy big room tech-house and '90s revivalism. The lead cut here, "Athina", continues this theme, sounding like a furiously over-polished modern take on Tenaglia-ish '90s New York deepness. "Old Days in Chicago" is a little more engaging, basing the darkroom tech around a sublime blues vocal sample and some retro-futurist bottom end. "Bel Canto (Dub)", meanwhile, does actually sound like a late '90s US deep house cut - all silly synth-sax and vintage organs.

Review: It sounds like London duo Moodtrap spent a lot of time listening to classic deep house from both sides of the Atlantic. The title track features hissing percussion and pitch-bent vocals providing the basis for lush, building chords. "Movement" follows a similar trajectory, but in this instance the male vocal is ponderous and the groove more rolling. "Let You Go" also effectively deploys a sassy rolling rhythm and insistent vocal samples, but the standout track here is "Route 66". Deeper and more textured than the other contributions, it even sees the duo use a similar sample to the warbling bird noises that appear on "Sueno Latino".

Review: Moodtrap is a new alias for a well-known, London-based DJ/production duo who wish to remain nameless. Make It Right is their second EP for Kevin Griffiths' Tsuba label. While their previous EP, Body To Body, offered a clandestine take on underground house, Make It Right is a bit different. Alongside old skool US house and garage influences - most noticeably on the title track and "Out Of Time" - they also touch on contemporary British bass music on "Let Loose", a fluid, far-out combination of woozy, wonky post-dubstep techno and Hotflush-ish rhythmic dexterity.

Review: Moodtrap returns to the rejuvenated Tusba label with a three-track foray into peaktime deep tech house territory. Opener "Where You Belong" is in many ways typical of his output to date, offering the dual delights of touchy-feely pads and a rigid low-end groove. There are plenty of neat touches - vocal yelps, hissing cymbals and bubbling, almost aquatic electronics - to hurry things along. Monday peppers a bassy groove with basement-bothering chords and darting electronics, while the more open and inviting "House Trippin" builds a formidable 5am groove around bumpin' acid bass.