Malik Hendricks - Switchback

  • Malik Hendricks goes down the path of techno on his latest EP.
  • Delen
  • With a string of soulful deep house releases on stalwart New York house labels like Coloring Lessons, Off Track Recordings and BlissPoint, the now-Lisbon based Malik Hendricks returns to Singapore label Darker Than Wax to start a new, more techno-influenced chapter. "Switchback" is propulsive, driven by a raw drum beat and plucking bassline. What makes the track truly compelling are the smooth synth chords and moody, electro arpeggios that pad and ground the otherwise frenetic rhythm in with soothing melancholy. Forgoing vocal samples in this latest EP, "Switchback" feels more fine-tuned, leaning away from the Eli Escobar-style disco house of Hendrick's previous releases. But listen closer, and that raw-yet-soulful element that made Hendrick's house distinctive remains: and lucky for us, it's louder than ever before.