Midland - Through Motion / Shelter

Midland - Through Motion / Shelter (16 May, Aus Music)

Midland's work with Ramadanman (Your Words Matter / More Than You Know) was probably one of my favourite records of last year, combining the best aspects of UK bass music with a classic house feel. Now, Midland returns to Aus Music for a solo outing, again leaning heavily towards classic Chi-town and New York sounds; it's DJ tool stuff for sure, making use of long, extended passages with vocals pitch-bending in and out and synths slowly warping through the mix. Shelter utilises loose, rattly percussion atop a solid 4/4 beat, mixing woodblocks and detuned snares with a low-filtered bassline wobbling away. With it's chopped and screwed vocals, borrowed wholesale from R'n'B / Garage, it's very reminiscent of Joy O's output, though whether the hype will explode as much is debatable. Through Motion leans much more towards a classic house sound though, with a slow-loping piano riff offset by a skittery kick-pattern and big, rolling piano chord breakdowns. The Tevo Howard remix (digital only) further cements Through Motion as undeniably techno, maximising the acidic feel of the bassline and tweaking the keys towards the classic Chez Damier sound.
Top record. iMidland - Through Motion - Forthcoming Aus [Clip] by Midland Midland - Shelter - Forthcoming Aus [Clip] by Midland