ELGATO – TONIGHT / BLUE
(HESSLE AUDIO – HES015)

1. Elgato – Tonight
2. Elgato – Blue

Release Date: Mon 11th Oct

The Hessle Audio imprint has garnered the kind of praise that many labels strive to achieve for decades. Such has been the consistency of their output – fusing a prominent experimental edge with an innate understanding of the dancefloor – that over the three years since the label’s inception, they have become one of the most prodigious labels in dubstep and its ever expanding spectrum of mutations, and continue to surge forward with every new release.

Following the recent powerhouse debut from Blawan and the ingenious percussive trickery of Joe’s ‘Claptrap’, the fifteenth installment comes in the form of the debut release from Elgato. And dare I say it, this is possible my favourite release to come from the label yet.

‘Tonight’ harnesses the rhythmic and sonic qualities of early Wiley productions, while substituting the aggressive bravado of grime for the soulful vocals and soft chords, and the brash arrangements for a nuanced and hypnotic propulsion. Driven by the synthesized string stabs and ‘dance with me’ refrain, Elgato’s sparse percussion penetrates your consciousness, subtly engineering the ebb and flow of energy as the track progresses. He builds and then deconstructs the track deftly, slowly peeling aware the layers before letting the track play out on a beatless wash of synths. Clocking in at close to nine minutes, it is ambitious while managing to avoid seeming indulgent or unnecessary.

‘Blue’ bring the tempo down, moulding itself round the clockwork pulse of the kick. Taking the ethereal disembodied vocals and diaphanous synths and pinning them to the sturdy rhythmic foundations, Elgato creates a ghostly marching rhythm. Drawing for the taut soca snares of UK Funky and stripping away any excess percussive weight, he creates space for the expansive synth work and circling vocals to reverberate through the drums mesmerizingly.

This is a serious debut from Elgato and I will most definitely be listening out for more from him.