Sun-blushed, sea-breezed, and full of shared spark, “Clovelly Concoctions” brings together Conspiracy Records co-founder Elijah Something and Fraise Records helmsman Wilba for a four-track EP that channels the magic of coastal sessions, creative chemistry, and inspired ideas that landed exactly where they needed to. It’s playful, melodic, and effortlessly memorable. As the 13th outing on Fraise Records, “Clovelly Concoctions” arrives with zero filler and four distinct slices of Techhouse misbehaviour – each pushing against the polite edges of the genre with a wink and a wobble.
Opener “Hazelnut Hustle” is a synthetic flex of tribal-tinted tension. Classic rave DNA bleeds into quirky percussive loops, padded out with crisp claps, whirring FX and shimmering textures that hover like heat haze over a stripped, groovy low-end. It’s finely engineered mayhem – a controlled fire dressed in a silk shirt.
“The Diamond Heist” dives confidently into its influences and resurfaces with a slick reinterpretation of mid-2000s tech house flair. Echoes of D-Nox & Beckers come filtered through Acid-laced synths and rubbery basslines, but it’s no throwback – it’s a reimagining. The track leans into familiarity with purpose, then pivots into a leftfield detour that feels adventurous rather than abrupt. It’s a clever play between homage and innovation, bridging past and present with style.
The B1, “Off Duty Brian”, opens with a twitch and a shimmer, unrolling a sort of psychedelic tech-house fresco. Staggered bleeps and dubbed-out FX form a framework for lush, Deep House pads that drift across the mix like a memory you’re trying to place. It’s warm, warped and walking that fine line between comfort and mild disorientation.
The closing cut “Bogey Hole Boogie” takes the EP fully into afterhours territory: spacey, deep and ever-so-slightly stoned. Sultry vocals slip in sideways – “You got to change a tune my friend ‘cause it’s shitty music and it’s time to dance” – delivered with just enough sass to serve as both critique and call to arms. The rhythm glides; the atmosphere lingers. This is the track you leave on when no one’s left but the right ones.
“Clovelly Concoctions” isn’t interested in trends – it’s interested in the kind of oddball club moments you remember for their imperfections. It’s weird. It’s groovy. It’s warm. And it might just be the best unassuming party record you didn’t know you needed.
Words by Pasha Pliskin
Torture the Artist 