Wistful jazz notes are strewn across this fantastically smoky, Detroit-indebted house EP from Sarp Yilmaz – a Turkish producer whose output over the past four years has been heavily characterised by funk and blues samples. Here however the jazz flecks serve a more subtle introspection as Yilmaz hones in on a remorselessly low-slung groove.
Opener ‘My People’ is a raw and sturdy piece of house, comprising a steady thud of bass and a constantly clinking hi-hat. Arguably the EP’s highlight, ‘Blue’ is more organic: cracked percussion is sourced from a live drum kit and sparsely left to knock against funky keyboard improvisation and a shuffling bassline.
The catchiest of the three is ‘Majestic’, with what most resembles a hook – a smudged classic disco vocal – but is as gritty and sparing in its arrangement as the rest, lumbering along at 114bpm. ‘Alchemy’ finishes things off with a chunky tumble of low-end beats.
The EP is undeniably derivative in parts but its resolutely deep and rugged aesthetic is hard to resist.
Tablon | Released: February
