Departing from his recent “After The Storm” EP, and on to portray his deeply rooted and melodic composition, the “Dolphin” EP will mark Cluekid’s third installment on Aquatic Lab. With a widespread back catalogue of releases behind him, Cluekid has approached this EP with innovation and depth backing it through the entirety. His wealth of experience on the buttons and very developed techniques help define him as an artist, and furthermore, emboss his intellectual and practical strengths.
The title track “Dolphin”, has been Cluekid’s most desired dubplate as of lately. A natural presence drawn together by sampling of birds and flowing soothing synth work ushers “Dolphin” beside a drum line built of soft snares and light high hats. A subtle reverberation of piano, and spatial synth chords emphasize the serene, thought provoking message of the title track “Dolphin”. This song highlights Cluekid’s love for the usage of piano keys and desire for tranquil melodic composition.
“Fossil” breaks from the deep blue vibes of the A-side, capturing the craftsmanship and articulation Cluekid’s other work is well known for. Layers of different minimal percussive sounds, mingle effortlessly with his melodic elements. With awareness to progression, the second drop offers even more deep weighted bass line and attitude from the mid range. “Fossil” prevails as my choice from this release, with its’ hefty roll and classic Cluekid presence.
The digital exclusive “Nihonto” takes a deeper, more cerebral approach towards melody. Spaced out harmonic synth work give a strong eastern presence. Dense kicks permeate the highly swung pace of the digital exclusive. It is just one more reason to get this EP on both vinyl and digital.
LAB014 is available from Juno Download.
