UPFRONTBEATS

2020 sees Leftroom Records turn an impressive 15 years old, and the celebrations start with a fantastic new EP from James Dexter, featuring a remix from Shaun Reeves.

Dexter has long been an underground mainstay. He has released on labels like No Art and Gruuv and is never far from the higher end of the digital charts, such is the effectiveness of his music.

Give Me More opens up with a superbly stripped back and slippery minimal house groove that oozes late night charm. The warped synths, trippy fx and the muttered vocals make for pure nocturnal darkness. Heist is a punchy track with a supple house rhythm and more bendy synth lines and smeared pads making it another cosmic gem. The Pressure is another gorgeously deep, feathery light groove that suspends you in mid air as a world of tiny sound designs and distant details occupy your mind.

Remixing this one is Detroit mainstay, Visionquest founder, and always on point studio innovator Shaun Reeves. His version is laced up with slick boom-bap drums and filtered vocals. It’s characterful minimal filled with silky rhythms that get deep into your psyche.

This is a typically excellent EP of forward looking sounds from Leftroom.

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