Fourth Wave At Juno Download

Review: Marking their first release of the year, Fourth Wave enlist the mysterious AA to deliver a righteous spread of leftfield house grooves that continue the fine tradition in unconventionality that has shaped the label so far. Ostensibly it's a deep house record, but it's more concerned with atmospherics and sophisticated melodic sources than it is with beats. Opener "The Cleansing" thuds like Theo Parrish, but goes into an entirely new space through the haunting, heavily treated violin. "Skyway" rumbles along consistently, but it's defined by a lack of pronounced percussion, instead letting rich layers of melody lead the way. Throughout Skyway there are moments of surprise and wonder, all encapsulated in a fresh and honest approach to a well trodden path.

Review: Fourth Wave move on from their slew of Gerry Read and Presk releases and find a logical next step in the form of Felix Lenferink. Kicking off with "First Bouree", crisp techy rhythms abound before a clean and punchy chord sequence comes in. It's the warbling high-end synth that makes the track though, coming on like a spannered take on G-funk. "Second Bouree" is a much more slippery devil, as a fractured 2-step beat gets intermittently halted for passing guitar drones, only to recommence with subtle pads and tones delicately laid on top. Adeptly landing in the unusual pocket of mutant house music that Fourth Wave seems to treasure, Lenferink could pose another exciting talent, much like his label mates.

Review: With over ten EPs in the past two years, the majority of them on 4th Wave, the frighteningly precocious Gerry Read has exploded onto the electronic music scene. Can he maintain the momentum? Going on the evidence of his latest release, it sounds like the lo-fi house producer is going from strength to strength. Available simply in a 'single edit' version, the track features a dubby, driving drum pattern and hissing percussion at its centre. But it's what Read does around the edges that really counts, and the dreamy disco filter and soulful vocal sets Evidence apart from the slew of drum-heavy releases.

Review: Having tumbled out of the stocks in a blur of drunken programming and maverick brushstrokes, it's safe to say that Gerry Read has successfully placed himself in a league of his own ahead of delivering an album to the world. Now that long-player arrives and it's as wild and ranging as you would expect. "Make A Move" is instantly a big hit with its stunning percussive rolls, mashed up scat singing and fractured piano stabs. There's an earthen soul at work in the samples Read is reaching for on the album, and while his style may be much more deliberately freaked out his intangible essence shares plenty with the likes of Theo Parrish and Moodymann. However where those artists are settled in a well-established groove, Read is still showing off and exploring just where his muse might take him.

Review: It may be early days for Gerry Read, but already his unique tendencies are standing him aside from the rest of the sizable pack. On "We Are" a few grainy samples start a steady house template. After a crafty dropout the tune switches into a distorted piano house jam of the highest order. "Narry" kicks off on a steadier groove; the melodic elements easing smoothly into the melee while the main hook of a bluesy vocal duels with the filter. Unconventional they may be, but with the right room of freaks in front of them there's no reason why these tracks can't be party rockers. Essential.

Review: For this fifth release on his increasingly impressive Fourth Wave label, Tom Kerridge has snaffled some tracks from Presk, a producer who has previously released on Doc Deneeka's Ten Thousand Yen imprint. It seems like a wise move, because "Hesitate", in particular, is excellent. Based around a rolling, midtempo 4/4 garage rhythm, sweet melodies and cut-up old skool vocal stabs, it's the sort of thing that wouldn't sound out of place on Hotflush or Swamp81. Virtual flispide "Kook" is almost as impressive, conjuring a woozy concoction of steppin' beats, dreamy vocals (a la Alison Goldfrapp in her Orbital days, pitched down a notch or two) and tipsy, drunken melodies.