Locus Sound take their growing influence to new heights this week by bringing together an ocean hopping collaboration between Australia’s e s p and Canada’s Meddem! ‘Retrospect‘ EP accommodates two collaborative efforts from the emerging producers with a cheeky solo each sandwiched between. And not only is LOCUS017 my pick of the week, I also have the pleasure of presenting the record’s concluding track, the sparkling ‘Stars‘.
The opening title track ‘Retrospect‘ takes you by the hand and gently leads you into e s p & Meddem‘s whimsical surrealism. A colourful Mario-esque land, chilled and laid back, the smooth subs remain unintrusive whilst the intoxicating, cartoonish melody steers the vibe, embellished by the occasional Yoshi yelp! Buttered up by the delicacy of the opening track, the following solo effort from e s p, ‘Keep Searching‘, takes a darker turn. From the heavier subs to the progressive cosmic synth arrangements, this is one of e s p’s deeper melancholic moments. Meddem‘s ‘Softwax‘ also follows a similar route, turning towards the dark spaced-out corners of the dance. However Meddem puts thick, chest rattling stomps at it’s core alongside subtle dubwise accents, cultivated by glitchy, reverbed SFX and consistently steppy rhythms. Both of these solo productions sit deep between the two colourful and contrasting collabs, creating a perfectly balanced and thoroughly engaging record. Which brings us to the finale track and today’s premiere, ‘ Stars‘, where the pair reconvenes in a world of intelligible bliss. Atop of the appropriately smooth sub bass pulses, ‘Stars‘ is another twisted melodic manifestation from the duo. Light and airy, although eerie tones remain, there’s still a child-like quality that feels so innocent and naïve.
LOCUS017 is a collaborative project that truly serves a purpose, perfectly displaying both e s p & Meddem‘s evolving production range. From the chilled, psychedelic vibes of their collaborative tracks to the darker sound system focused solos, if you didn’t know what e s p or Meddem have to offer, you do now! Like always, Locus Sound have come in early on these talented upcomers and I’m sure this won’t be the last we’ll hear from either producer this year.
‘Retrospect’ EP is out 30/04/2021 and available to download here.
Check out e s p on Soundcloud and Instagram.
Check Meddem on Soundcloud and Instagram.
Check out Locus Sound on Soundcloud and Instagram.
