Lord and founder of Crucial Recordings: Sleeper returns to his label, bringing with him what the people have been asking for: ‘Calling on Spirits’ AKA “what’s this track called?” finally sees a release, alongside ‘Yonks’ on the flip.
‘Calling on Spirits’ has been destroying many a dance floor this last year or so, becoming a much sought-after dub. Dark 8 Bit “taunts” demand your attention, before the gritty, almost Eprom-esque bass lands: Snarling at choice points throughout the beat to command the space. Sparse yet surgical percussion keeps everything moving, with the hi-hats upping in tempo and performing the odd roll or lick towards the end. They tie everything together nicely and any more would probably take away from the track. To Sleeper’s credit, despite 8 Bit noises being some of the oldest electronic sounds there are, his still sound fresh. This one was definitely worth the wait, I’m just glad we didn’t have to wait longer.
While I’m sure many would be content with just the A-side, the B-side ‘Yonks’ may surprise people by ultimately being their preferred one on the release. The track is almost like a yang to ‘Calling on Spirits’ yin: They both have a minimal beat and a hefty sub, however ‘Yonks’ has a lighter, almost dreamlike sound palette. While the A-side sounds very raw, ‘Yonks’ feels much softer and restrained, with the muted plucks and percussion floating over the warm bassline, somewhat similar in vibe to some of Ivy Lab’s more chilled half-time releases. It doesn’t try to compete for the same kind of attention as the A-side, which is why I think the pairing works so nicely. I find myself listening to both sides about the same amount, which to me is a sign of a good release.
CRUCIAL023 will no doubt be a fast seller (if it hasn’t sold out already that is), and is yet another strong addition to the Crucial Recordings catalogue. Given their streak of big releases these last few years, it’ll be interesting seeing how many more years they can keep it up for. Personally, I’m hoping for at least 10.
