US DJ/producer The Sloppy 5ths drops his ‘1997’ EP this week on Supermarket Records. ‘Part 1’ of a homage to his fondest year for house releases delivers four tracks – his own title track and three remixes from Joel Jungle, David Lacosta and Mixline.
The original mix pulsates with an undulating, caterpillar groove, frantic vocal cuts, incessant percs and a slamming clap tack. It’s all going off in a busy mix but would slot in nicely peak time in a set; dopamine coursing through veins, energy levels soaring. The vocal chops grab the track by the scruff of the neck and slingshot the rhythm into the final drop and beyond.
Joel Jungle takes the perc onslaught to a new extreme and adds plenty of tension with ghostly synth stabs and vocal hits. While we felt the liveliness of the track we weren’t quite ready for the drops in the track. At times a steamrolling side-to-sider but there were moments where it all got a bit intense.
Of all the cuts, David Lacosta mix was the most distinct. A rolling tech beat and plenty of action in the high end but using the vocal in the same menacing manner that dominated the sound of the previous two tracks. Then comes the clearout where multi-tapping, synth chords add a note of euphoria that carries into the drop. Similar to Joel Jungle’s jam, there were parts when everything clicked.
Last but certainly not least is the Mixline remix. An action-packed slice of raw jack, this is the track that caught our ear and allowed us to appreciate the other cuts in a different light. Mixline was our gateway drug to what turned out to be a very solid EP on balance. 1997 is out Thursday.
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