UPFRONTBEATS

Contemporary tech house pair Davide Squillace & Santos link up for a superb new single on Ovum featuring vocals from Boy From Africa and a remix by the highly regarded Mathew Dear as Audion.

Italian Davide Squillace is one of the scene’s most in-demand artists. His legendary sets at places like DC10 in Ibiza, his fresh cuts on labels like Bedrock and SCI+TEC and his own well-curated label This And That all attest to that. Countryman Santos is another modern tastemaker with a sound rooted in tech house. He has produced countless classics over the last 20 years and now heads up his own Let Me Understand Records.

Their ‘Flesh’ is a superbly stylish cut with celestial synths bringing an uplifting sense of hope and optimism. The silvery drums are super smooth, with angelic vocal sounds sending shivers down the spine as they float way up above the Detroit-styled pads. It’s an artful cut that is richly layered. The dub mix pairs it back to something a little more direct.

Michigan-born Mathew Dear is a musical polyglot. He plays guitar and can make folk albums but is a studio wizard who also crafts face-melting minimal and dark avant-pop that features his own vocals. He has released on labels like Ghostly and Spectral Sound and here assumes his club-ready Audion alias. His late-night and minimal version is a tightly coiled and rhythmic workout with dark layers of synth making for a dystopian mood. It’s eerie and full of intrigue with a vocal that brings a much more paranoid character.

Credited - Dispersion PR