Protect U MP3 & Music Downloads at Juno Download

Review: Given their role in shaping the sound of Washington DC's Future Times label at the tail end of the last decade, it's arguably about time that Protect-U - aka FT co-owner Mike Petillo and pal Aaron Leitko - delivered their debut album. For those familiar with Future Times' kaleidoscopic fusions of analogue drum machine rhythms, vibrant synthesizers and new age melodies, Free USA will make exciting listening. It's as vivacious as you'd expect, joining the dots between the hissing, dreamy, scattergun explorations of Maxmillion Dunbar, the intense dancefloor fuzziness of the L.I.E.S. label, and the intoxicating fluidity of Vancouver's Mood Hut crew. In other words, it's a joy to listen to, flitting between jacking dancefloor electronica and hazy ambient bliss.

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FT 022
13 May 14
Disco/Nu-Disco

Protect U

The Protect U EP

Vibrations UK

Wild Drift - (6:07) 123 BPM

Ultra (Basic mix) - (4:49) 115 BPM

Slow Ultra - (6:23) 123 BPM

Bright After Dark - (5:46) 113 BPM

Review: Following two 12"s for cult Washington DC label Future Times, rising stars Protect U move to Vibrations for this four-track EP of foggy analogue house oddities. "Wild Drift" opens proceedings with a flowing piece of arpeggiated machine funk, shifting through a myriad of hazy moods, whilst "Ultra (Basic mix)" utilises a conga led rhythm and aquatic bassline in combination with dramatic lead melody which evokes the complex moods of Legowelt's finest. This track is revisited as "Slow Ultra" gives a second version characterised by its shimmering, intertwining pads punctuated by a rich bassline. The EP is closed by "Bright After Dark", undoubtedly the moodiest track of the bunch; foregoing the relatively rich melodies of its counterparts, it focuses instead on swampy atmospherics and an industrial squelch.

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VIB 006
06 Aug 12
Deep House