Mr Beatnick hits all the right notes for Tief on his new EP
Although “Mr Beatnick” aka Nick Wilson certainly lives by the mantra of less is more, it’s always a happy occasion when a new EP from him lands on the shelves of the local vinyl emporium. His latest chef d’oeuvre comes courtesy of London label and party starters TIEF. Laced with a typically attractive array of soul-inspired, crafty grooves over 3 orginal tracks – Wilson shows once again that he really is a master of deftly produced electronic edged house that is as equally listenable at home, as it will make you move in the midst of a sweaty dance floor. Title track “Marshmallows” is a mid-tempo synth led slice of melodic house that carries you away into creamy chords and typically loose percussion as the lead floats expansively into a mele of subtly tweaked acid. “Ice Cream Strut” is every bit as delicious, heading downtempo as the sneakily sampled break sets you into a head nodding mode, the brass like bass punching through, carried by contrapuntal stabs that give the track a sense of purpose. By the time the wistful strings envelope you in the breakdown, you can’t help but feel it. With the addition of a solid Francis Inferno Orchestra remix included to give the original an extra bit of weight, it is however “Oxytonin’s” bubbling hommage to Mr Heard that rounds off the EP with more than a dose of quirk as Wilson doffs his cap to Chicago’s forefathers in this deeply baked cut.
