2023 has been a great year for Bradley Hutchings aka Guava. Alongside many successful dance singles and remixes, his self-released debut album ‘Out Of Nowhere’ is a gorgeous blend of indie electronica that steps away from his typical club focussed productions. 2024, however, sees Guava move back towards the dancefloor with his latest EP Afterglow, which drops on Faux Poly on March 8th. Since rooting himself in Berlin, Guava has drawn inspiration from across the different facets of the city, something that is strongly reflected in this release.
The opening track ‘Angel’ is a dark trip, born out of experiments with reverb and guitar harmonics influenced by UK Bass and Dubstep, an ethereal techno track described by the artist as “guitar music for Berghain”. Next up is ‘140 Drums’, an essential DJ club tool, a chopped stuttering break and hoover bass roll through a restrained but surprisingly heavy hitting finale to the EP.
‘F641’ accelerates with continuously pitching synth stabs and a rumbling low end. Inspired by F1, the track hits hard and never stops ramping up. Finally the title track ‘Afterglow’ brings a lightness and warmth to the release, delicately catchy and rooted with a bouncy house beat, the sound of Berlin in Guava’s productions is unmistakably clear.
