Yeah, it’s really good. Like, I know I’m a fan but even so, this is an excellent release, particularly the title track “Love & Resistance.” It’s a contrary 9 minutes and 59 seconds of signature Crooked deep house, the contrast between its big, brash metallic bass/lead and the warm chords and wistful vocals from Carmen Squire adding up to a wonderfully balanced track, as light and drifty as it is raw and stank-face-inducing. An anthem-in-waiting.
“Nemesis” delivers a one-note bone-rattling bass line that forms the backbone of the tune, complimented by some rattling percussion, studio FX and disembodied vocal samples, adding up to a dark, spooky dub-house excursion that — as with every record I review here — at the right moment, in the right context, to the right crowd could absolutely smash the place up. Final track “Nemesister” is an even more dubbed-out version of “Nemesis,” with extra edgy synth licks and layers and layers of Space-Echo delay. No doubt the pair of them will mix together perfectly with enough space and time in the arrangement of each for creative DJs to do some lovely live re-editing. That’s what I’d do if I was DJing this evening anyway.
Crooked Man: Love & Resistance (Vicious Charm Recordings / Digital)
1. Crooked Man: Love & Resistance (09:59)
2. Crooked Man: Love & Resistance (edit) (04:32)
Crooked Man: Nemesis (Vicious Charm Recordings / Digital)
1. Crooked Man: Nemesis (06:25)
2. Crooked Man: Nemesister (08:33)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was submitted as a promo.
The High Life: This was originally published in 5 Mag Issue #205 featuring Orlando Voorn, Mira Ló, Victor Simonelli, Carly Wilford, Maxime Dangles, Turbojazz and more. Help keep our vibe alive and our shine bright by becoming a member for $2/month and get every issue in your inbox right away!
