Our premiere today comes to you from an absolute legend and storied producer in the house world, DJ Aakmael (soundcloud). Aakmael has been releasing heater and heater for well over the last decade for respected dance labels like Unified Records, Kolours, Church UK, as well as his own imprint Unxpozd Entertainment. Preserving that deep underground sound alongside as he describes, “more raw, new nostalgia with that lite-jazz glaze”, Aakmael’s newest outing, ‘Tales from the Deep Side’, arrives on Axe on Wax Records, and what a fitting home it is. This EP is about as earnest as it gets, mixing just the right samples and chords with the relentless shuffle that Aakmael has made his own since 2004.
[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/dj-aakmael-deep-side”/]
A1 is titled appropriately enough, Deep Side. From the moment it kicks off it’s not hard to see what selectors such as Kai Alce, Deejay Astral, and Chaos in the CBD see in Aakmael’s work that makes it so enticing. A fully jazzed out lead line attacks from the get go; as the track builds steam, so to does it’s percussive heft. Hisses, clicks, and swung hats gather like a snowball rolling down a hill—all of the sudden this track is massive and you barely see it coming. Panning synth flutters enter the mix around the 2 min mark, locking in the spacier elements of the track before it picks up steam once more, galloping into its final stretch with sparkling vocal cuts and glistening sheen fully in tow.
The rest of the EP carries on in a similar, yet fully welcome fashion. Kozmic Bounce is yet another aptly titled cut, embracing a loungey, yet aggressive vibe. The B-side take us into the basement a bit with Pass It, no question a floor filler when it’s heavy undercurrent of rhythm and soaring synthwork is applied correctly. Concluding with Moodcapacity, Aakmael cements his reputation as a master of the sound, with a beautifully detuned and submerged melody gliding along his effortless, head-snapping low end. There’s no question an EP of this nature was made by someone roughly 15 years into their craft; in fact it seems that with Tales of the Deep Side, DJ Aakmael is somehow only getting started, and has a bright future ahead. Pre-order now on Juno.
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dSYtUQKTXI[/embedyt]
Danny
