Papolious Jones – aka Brian Topham – makes his debut on Mari.te’s ever-eclectic tresydos with the release “Answers”, a four-tracker that blurs the lines between nostalgia and the now. Across the EP, the Barcelona-based artist sculpts grooves that feel like they’ve been unearthed from a 90s afterhours tape, yet carry a polish and focus that’s distinctly contemporary.
The title track, “Answers”, sets the tone: a tightly wound number where elegant synth lines curl into a hypnotic loop, equal parts party-minded and introspective. An acid line bubbles beneath the surface, not snarling but slyly guiding the pulse, while retro flecks creep in like afterimages from old Electro records. Still, this isn’t pastiche – the track maintains a sound very much its own, balancing strut and subtlety, memory and immediacy. It’s the kind of cut that convinces bodies onto the floor without needing to raise its voice, inviting dancers to sink into its understated but undeniable pull.
Papolious Jones makes his statement with restraint: “Answers” doesn’t scream, it suggests. And in that suggestion lies the magic – a groove both retro-tinged and refreshingly current, impossible to pin down and even harder to resist.
Words by Holger Breuer
Torture the Artist 