It was only late last year that PIFF Records dropped their first release ‘To Adelaide’, showcasing a wave of up and coming Australian producers. Now, the UK based record label welcomes Berlin-based Jesse Bru as the sophomore member, furthering the label’s ambition for musical exploration in dance music.
Piff Records pulls a petal from it’s 004 with Subjoi, recruiting Adam Emil- who featured on the track Paradise back in September - and Slim Hustla who go twos on the new EP, “Travellers”.
Emil’s side features A1’s “Genuine”, driven by auto-tuned contemporary style vocals that ice all over the melancholy synth work, giving way to “Hovedspring” which presents itself as liquid drum and bass at house tempo - intricate drum programming and trance palet of ambient sounds, well padded throughout.
Slim Hustla takes over the B side, complimenting the ethereal sounds of Emil, first with “Newfound Love” - no less than a synth work out - dripping with arpeggiated notes that open up to their fullest, bouncing between stabs and waves of atmosphere electronics. “We Forget that the Water Cycle and the Life Cycle Are One” takes the beat format of electro, mobilized by acoustic drum sounds, setting the listener up for a full-blown acid hardcore breakbeat closer on “Midnight in Copenhagen”.
a1. Adam Emil - Genuine
a2. Adam Emil - Hovedspring
b1. Slim Hustla - Newfound Love
b2. Slim Hustla - We Forget that the Water Cycle and the Life Cycle Are One
For its 4th release, Piff Records recruits from as far afield as possible, tapping Adelaide-based Subjoi who adds to his already diverse and sought-after discography. He presents a set of tracks that are somewhat of a departure from previous releases, employing a UK Garage sound all the way from Australia.
A1’s “Give It To Me” uses side-chained pads to form a perfect loop while melodic wooden block sounds dance around. Assisted by Adam Emil on percussion, “Paradise” whips up the notch on the UKG vibe before giving way to the record’s B side.
The EP’s title track, “Swerve” sits nicely above the most subdued sounds of the record. It’s an ethereal cut with barely-there vocals, the kind that’s saved for the very early hours; first light coming through to a gently swaying dancefloor. “Tears” – it seems of joy, not sadness - dips in and out of halftime, with breathy jazz instrumentation, similar to “Swerve” as an early hours selection but here, as the uplifting closer.
Piff Records continues to unravel its catalogue by calling on an artist slightly closer to home. Cardiff-based Harrison BDP adds to his already prolific discography with an EP that spans from mellow dub techno vibrations, all the way up to wide-open, rave-driven acid riffs.
Harrison’s A-side revels in a deep pool of soft bubbling synth chords, moulded to the backdrop of tight rolling drum work and occasionally teasing the wider, heavier energies to be found on the flip.
The B side ripples with ricocheting, delay-laden soundscapes, rock-solid drums lines, and nostalgic lead synth lines that make you glad that you’ve caught on to this talented producer early on in his promising career.
Still reeling from their sought-after Ross EP on the hugely respected Natural Sciences label, Warren Raww present the To Adelaide EP, the first release on the newly founded, Bristol-based imprint, Piff Records.
The Adelaide duo have produced a 12 that ups the energy of their July EP, whilst still delivering on their own brand of melodic, synth-laden house music. This time flanked by comrades Arthur Miles and Freddie Norwood, they add to the already high volume of talent currently emanating from Australia.
The A1, 9 On Court 3, plays on the more low-end driven aspect of Warren Raww’s production style, with an off-kilter bass line bouncing erratically over the top of the slightly swung, punchy percussion, topped with a spaced-out, saturated synth palet. Fans of Kyle Hall’s From Joy and the deeper end of Lobster Theremin will resonate strongly with Neighbours, a more relaxed, broken number, augmented with small piano runs and sewn together with a contemplative chord progression asking of the listener a more emotional nuance.
On Jessica’s Place, Arthur Miles strips down to lay the foundations for a tasty, warp-drenched number, complementing his gliding pads with a great selection of raw percussion and improvised synth lines, culminating in a combination of soft and rugged. Freddie Norwood rounds off the four-track EP with Parallel To The Sky, a continuation of the stripped back, broken beat approach. He slowly builds musical blocks bringing in more and more melodic hooks before affirming his dreamy canvas with a welcomed bassline that swims around the vocal sample before the final drum rolls bring the EP to a close.
