The fourth outing on the rapidly rising Groove To Grave label comes from Paris-based Emi Ömar, who also has seen something of a boost in profile in the last few years. With previous outings courtesy of Yuko Records, Distant Waters & Increase The Groove to name just three, Emi is firmly planting himself on the scene, with his latest “Homo Musicus EP” further adding to an already impressive catalogue.
From the opening of this EP, it’s clear that the focus is the steady thud of the beats and the bass vibe; “Chut Hello“ is one of those tracks where the throb of the central kick & bass or so finely welded together that they almost become a solo sound. The percussive elements bounce around the central thread of the track, with fizzing riffs, a variety of spoken samples, some clear, some messed around with, some almost inaudible, some with a vocodor, but all adding to a brilliant and heady atmospheric trip. There is funk in droves here, with the depth of the track keeping it firmly for the more underground floors.
The A-side’s second chunker is the very aptly titled “Primate Groove“, which will have whole dancefloors monkeying around with massive grins on their faces. A stabby bass groove flits around a steady straight-up 4/4 backing beat, again with added zap sounds, little hints of vocals, warm synth runs and extra perc rolls here and there, creating a pulsating rhythm through the whole track. The way the vocal sections are used really do stand out, both on this and the previous track, where they are used as instrumental elements, as opposed to simply ‘some vocals’. Another excellent bass-led, cleverly woven club jam.
Flipping over to check the B-side and we’re straight in with more offbeat vocals, rasping vox noises intonating the track’s “Grrrrr“ title. Slightly bleepy synth hits are paired up with warm synth hits, floating just above a hip-shaking bassline, this track goes direct for the dancers and those in the club who simply can’t stay still. The bassline is an absolute beast, quite frankly if you can’t get vibed-up to this track, you should leave the club and go home. Hints of P-Funk run through the flow on this cut and it really benefits as a result.
To close the vinyl, we’re treated to the title track, which opens with an acapella stating “I just want to feel the bass, I just want to see the lights, I just want to be at the disco.“ Well, if you’ve been listening to the previous three tracks, you’ll already be fully feeling the bass, but just in case you’ve not had quite enough bass, you’ll have your bass-levels topped right up here, with yet another superbly edited and programmed slice of ultra-funk. Female vocal samples seem to come in from nowhere & while you’re getting your head around them, they’re gone again and the synths have you under their spell, pitched down vocals from another dimension appear and a “disco” refrain vocal from the opening acapella also reappears in staccato form. It’s truly mind-melting, the layers of sound playing against one another, but without every clashing, each bit has its own section in the track. It’s a wonderful end to a quite brilliant record, the editing on show is outstanding, not to mention the groove levels being totally off the scales.
But hang on, there’s also a bonus for those of you who prefer to get your music digitally! There’s another track, “Luky-Good“, which is built around a, you guessed it, funk-laden guitar riff leading into the track, with a live bassline that is so insanely funky that your legs will buckle under the weight of the vibe. As the track struts its thing, the vibe switches to a fuzzy electronic groove around the 2/3 mark, slapping you round the face and essentially giving you two tracks in one. It’s slightly bonkers, but superbly done and incredibly compelling to hear. Definitely worth hunting, to add to any self-respecting DJs collection.
Words by Al Bradley
Torture the Artist 