In a year defined by catastrophe, good news is worth its weight in gold. Gallery Recordings and Sydney producer James Pepper are back in business. After honouring Pep with the maiden release on the label (GLRY001), the two parties are linking up once more, serving up another plate of delicious club cuisine titled Games & Music (GLRY004).It’s been a steady rise for the east coast kid, gifted with a knack for writing well-engineered 4×4 house records. Armed with a prowess for production, James’s tracks have been played out by a host of dance music elite including Kettama, Tensnake, Fisher, Horse Meat Disco and close collaborator Black Loops. Word on the street, is these two have something special brewing behind closed doors…
The Games & Music (GLRY004) EP is a vaccine for club withdrawals. It’s the Pep you know, love and have so dearly missed. Like a bull at a gate, the curtain raiser “Infinite” brings the beef. A stew of spacey synths, crisp bass and lush piano intertwine beautifully, almost demanding dance. With deft touch, James sprinkles the tune with bizarre percussive elements, that sound like a troupe of insects engaged in lively conversation.Rounding out the four-tracker is the lead single ‘Triple Take’ (out Jan 15th). The curtain closer walks a lovely tightrope between loungey house and club records that pump that little bit harder. Introducing shimmering synth play to old-school dial tones, ‘Triple Take’ bubbles away spreading positivity in all directions.
