Hot off their latest release with T. Jacques, London-based djs/party-turned label Tessellate show no signs of slowing down as they bring us the ‘Drop Down’ EP from Parisian dj and producer, Armless Kid.
Marking their sixth release, Tessellate have by now established a very tight signature sound and vision for their label. Concentrating on club-readiness, Tessellate is shaping up to be first and foremost a dj’s label, concentrating on function over home-listening. However, this never goes far enough to reduce any of their output to “dj only” material, as their careful curation always has space for functional groovers with tuneful, harmonious elements and headier vibes.
Per usual, their sixth is full of all these signature ingredients. The A1 and original “Club Mix” of Drop Down provides the most tranquil listen of the bunch: a broken beat and flanged breaks set the scene, as catchy bursts of acid and synth lines reminiscent of old Project Pablo tunes ring out over the top. The B side features deeper and more minimal vibes across two more original cuts.
The A2 “Acid Reflex” flip of the leading track by Opal Sunn is our pick of the bunch. The Berlin duo (who’s latest release on Nick Hoeppner’s Touch From A Distance imprint is a must-listen) take the original up a notch, layering additional percussion over the original, replacing the smooth chords with rapid, sequenced synth work and finishing it off with a hefty touch of acid. Dreamy, dubby and sweet in patches, though techy and functional all the same, the ingredients add up to make a tune with Tessellate written all over it.
What’s special about Tessellate has been their ability to create a brand so in touch with all it’s built upon, a testament to their A&R. If you’ve ever seen Tessellate play or been to their parties, you’ll know what we mean (if you haven’t, you should make it one of your post-quarantine plans). By now the Tessellate label has become all the right amount of predictable. The consistency is there, and you know what you’ll get with Tessellate, but it’s fresh every time and we definitely can’t wait for more.
Pre-order TESS006 here.
