Tief is the eminent London club night based at Corsica Studios which focuses solely on the deeper side of electronic music. A few months back the party spawned a record label whose inaugural release was a tough and brittle house EP ‘Call Me Ishmael’ by newcomers Sisterhood.
Hot on the heels of that well-received release comes a balmy collaboration between Pelski favourite Ooft! (check his recent podcast for us here) and Esa, one half of the tribal-heavy Auntie Flo live show.
Glasgow’s Ali ‘Ooft!’ Herron has been a disco and house mainstay in the UK for some time – known best for his pitched-down production style. Esa Mervin Granger, on the other hand, hails from the sunnier climes of Cape Town and brings with him a distinctly African sound and knack for live percussion.
Together the pair conjure up an EP of fantastically steely Afro-house. The title track blends steel-tipped tropical percussion with rave chord stabs and an ecstatic synth whirr – all in all, a sure-fire dancefloor weapon. Portable, from the same area of Cape Town as Esa, turns in a left-of-centre remix, characterised by a wonky slur of bass and idiosyncratic techno bleeps; oozing a downbeat sort of charm.
The two B-sides opt for a more organic take on African-influenced music – and are all the more satisfying for it. ‘Boesman Lambada’, arguably the highlight, is a deliciously deep excursion that hangs on a bopping marimba melody and conga rhythm. ‘Die Plain’ gets off to a similar start, all nagging African percussion immersed in swirling tropical atmospherics, before a more modern sound enters, the dark, building thrum of distorted electro bass.
Ek Maak Julle Dance is a thoroughly danceable EP bursting with lush South African flourishes. Which leaves us eagerly awaiting Prophets Of The South’s unreleased ‘Shiboba’ – catch a glimpse on the Pelski Podcast 006.
Tief | September | Format: vinly, digital
