review | Madvilla – Locked In | Global Swing

Switching the California sunshine for the slightly less tan-inducing London has been a strong move for Madvilla. His output has been featured on Locus, Seven Dials, Pets, Global Swing and also fabric nightclub’s imprint too; this time, he’s heading back to Global Swing with the “Locked In” EP, the label’s fourth 12″ and an absolute winner it is too.

The EP opener “Thirsty” kicks the pace from the off, with tidily programmed drums, a lovely warm bassline, garagey stabs of the UK style and a vocal refrain to match the track’s title. It’s not an overly complicated vibe, but in this case that’s all for the better – reminiscent of Nice ‘n’ Ripe, Swing City and the stabby London garage of the mid-00s, this is a wicked straight-up club jam. 

For the second cut, aptly titled “Sloppy Toppy”, the groove is a bassy, throbbing percussive slammer, with the track’s title taken from the incessant flanging perc hits that flow through the track, giving a true hip-swinging sensation. Layered gated stabs are introduced at the midway break point, then as everything kicks back in it’s full-systems go; swinging bass, little vox clips, bleepy FX hits and a groove that just will not let you go! Proper bass-led club tackle right here.

As the 12″ is flipped over, proceedings get underway with “Wandering Minds”, another masterclass in deep, bass-led club sounds. The drums have a sparse, almost hollow feel to them, giving space for the freaky bassline and scattergun vocals to fire through the track. Additional tinkling keys add to the spacey feel, giving a perfect balance of low-end bass and shiny top sounds, all wrapped up with the punchy drums.  

To close this sold EP, the garage flavors are fully on display with ‘Early Night’, its rising bassline and female vox clips being joined by gated pads, warm synths and a breaky feel to the drums. Despite the title perhaps leading the listener to believe this would be the most chilled track, it’s actually the most dancefloor-heavy of them all, the drums harking back to early 90s rave in vibe, while the bassline is more to the fore and the pads lift the spirits throughout.

An excellent EP, crafted for bass-heavy systems and sweaty dancers, and who can argue with that? Get involved!

Words by Al Bradley

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Published by Al Bradley

I got my Technics 1200s in 1991 and what was expected to be a short-lived bit of fun has gone on to be the central thread in my life. Starting out playing at parties around my home town of Manchester, I like to feel I have progressed to become an established vinyl DJ, regularly playing around the UK and Europe, playing sets of up to 8 hours, showcasing my love of all things electronic. Moving into production in 2006, I have featured on both vinyl and digital labels worldwide, with a reputation for eclecticism and creating tracks and remixes which cover a broad range of sounds, never wanting to repeat a style or stick to a set formula and taking in influences absorbed since starting to buy electronic vinyl beats in the mid-80s. I also have run the label 3am Recordings since 2003. Inspired by the Northern UK house and electronic scene and particularly labels such as 2020Vision, Paper Recordings, Toko and Glasgow Underground, I have always aimed for 3am to be a showcase for artists with no boundaries. This is because I have always felt the artists provide their best work when left to do what they feel is right, with no attempt to go with whatever is currently fashionable – fads will always appear and then disappear, but the central thread running through house music always remains the heartbeat of deep bass, solid kicks and a dancefloor-focus, regardless of the tempo. Over the years, the label has supported a wide range of producers, some whose debut releases were on 3am, while others have been well-respected artists whose music has featured in sets and on dancefloors for many years. This combination has allowed the label to remain truly underground and equally on-point, a case proven when the label was asked to host its 10th birthday event at fabric in 2013. Since 2003, the label has been booked for events around the world, including Berlin, Chicago, Paris, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Helsinki, alongside regular events throughout the UK. In the digital age, where everybody is battling to bombard people with a constant flow of information, 3am remains true to its roots by simply and quietly pushing fantastic electronic music on vinyl for DJs and dancefloors, no constant fanfare required. Quality is the key; I believe that is what gives a label longevity and integrity, allowing it to stand out from the noise. For all 3am Recordings label parties, or to book Al for a gig or track/remix, email al.bradley@3amrecordings.com

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