No Artificial Colours / Crying Wolf EP
Vinyl / Digital
Madtech / Released May 2013
Timeless upfront house music marks the 12th release on Kerri Chandler’s Madtech imprint, with London pair No Artificial Colours on a decidedly confident production tip. Proud and unabashed, think proper song vocals (courtesy of Alex Mills, who appeared on Miguel Campbell’s Something Special) and raw, stepping beats, combined create a big party piece that also boasts enough due care and attention to remove it from the throwaway pile.
Given our penchant for the hypnotic and heads down, though, the opening (and title) number is outdone by a stripped, dark lyrical repetition that comes with Restless Souls. Cari Golden brings to mind Louise Carver’s mournful tones on the late, great Kenny Hawkes bomb Play the Game, because here the same druggy, after dark atmospheres exist, only with more jack than shuffle as simple hand claps and basic stepping kicks invoke a warehousey feeling. Perhaps not quite on the same level of classic as our point of reference here, nevertheless the results are definitely worth owning, not least with the more uptempo, groovy and bass-driven Love completing the three part release- a loop and sample based workout that sits somewhere in between the two predecessors, making for a very useful package of proper house indeed.
