Chaos in the CBD’s classy productions have brought the New Zealand-born London-based brothers a long way over the past few years. The underground music community have taken note, with Boiler Room and Stamp the Wax regularly championing their growing list of EPs.
What a treat then that brothers Ben and Louis Helliker-Hales are launching their own label, In Dust We Trust: “an ode to a collection of friends who share a certain understanding, who live by a love and respect for the people around them”.
The guys’ Accidental Meetings EP will be the first release on the label: four delicate electronic tracks with all the usual sexiness they pull off every time.
Allow me to set the scene. Imagine yourself in a smoky underground jazz bar, sat on a stool with a martini in one hand, waiting for the evening’s entertainment to begin as the murmur of the audience surrounds you. In comes the electric organ to warm things up, a rolling snare drum, followed in good time by a soft female vocal to wash over you. The luscious opener could easily be taken for a live recording. Feeling an air of sophistication? You should be.
North Pole Café then takes things up a notch into house territory, with an arresting opening drum beat, increased BPM and pumping bass line. What the duo master in every production is rhythm, and it quickly becomes clear on first listen that Ben is a former drummer. Try and keep your feet and hips still and you’ll fail, as rhythmic but soft piano motifs and delicious syncopated beats take hold. Then suspended chords crescendo in and fade out for the final embellishment of this gorgeously rich dance track.
Untitled Identities is a lot more stripped back. Samba-style percussion takes the lead and quiet chord progressions hum in the distance. Then everyone’s favourite off-beat hi-hat rounds things off in tasty deep house number Distorted Fields. The jazz theme creeps its way back in with a double bass hook and one final sprinkle of dreamy piano.
The EP drops on 14th February, smooth background music you can play for your valentine.
Julia Connor
(Image: Stamp the Wax)