Uitgebracht
September 2014
- Harry Agius' recent output—most notably "Safi," the percussive-heavy track he gave to the African charity project he's involved with—have increasingly focused on stripping away excess melodic fat in favor of nailing the groove. While this remains the case on much of Midland's latest EP for Aus, he's hardly engaging in raw minimalism. There's light to counter the shade.
All three tracks feature dense drums and bass. "Duster," the most melodic of the trio, proceeds at a steady gallop, with pulsating pads, garagey snares and a lovely bass pattern. What really elevates it, however, is when Agius subtly introduces a rousing string vignette. Fizzing with energy, "Reflex" wanders into deep, jacking territory, an area that Agius remains in for "Pitch Drift." Here he scrunches up an alarm throb, heavy breaths and a twisted, feline whine, and throws a juddering, simple beat at them. The results, from a man who shows little sign of ending his impressive run of form, make a real impact.
TracklistA1 Duster
B1 Reflex
B2 Pitch Drift