London's Deft has joined SHERELLE and Naina’s Hooversound Recordings to release a four-track EP of footwork, jungle, grime and everything in between.
Anyone familiar with SHERELLE — DJ Mag’s “Best Breakthrough DJ” of 2019 — will also be familiar with her high-velocity, unbeatably energetic approach to music. The artists appearing on her label are no different; though Deft’s contribution is only the second release on the label, if BURNA and Hyroglifics & Sinistarr’s BS6 are anything to go by, Hooversound Recordings is set to be one of the most innovative and exciting labels about.
Title track “BURNA” gets the EP off to an intense start. Speedy breaks and slightly acidic tinges make for a potent combination, and cement the fact that this tune was made for one place and one place only — a murky dancefloor with a rigged out soundsystem. It leaves big shoes for the rest of the EP to fill, but Deft manages with ease. “NEW YORKS FINEST VIP” spends the first minute skilfully building pressure before dropping into frantically choppy vocals and heavily warped bass; it’s guaranteed rave carnage.
“KOOVER IN '92” brings us a more jungle-infused cut, and if you thought the previous tracks were dancefloor melters, wait until you hear this one. It’s just over three minutes of fierce, bass-propelled chaos in the best way possible. Heavily percussive elements dominate the second half of the track to make it a genre-bending, all-round banger.
“ESKILUSIVE” finishes things up on a grime-infused footwork tip, showcasing Deft’s production talents across the board. Showing no signs of slowing down, “ESKILUSIVE” remains just as full throttle as its predecessors — maybe even more so. A sublime choice of grime vocals from Wiley's "Elusive" combined with intense build ups, huge drops, and all sorts of other madness make it an A1 track. Easily up there as a stand out, alongside “KOOVER IN ‘92,” although “ESKILUSIVE” is that good it might just have the edge. Incredibly great stuff.
BURNA can be streamed and purchased via Bandcamp.
