If Adam Marshall’s latest EP, “Vespers,” is to be interpreted as an evensong, it should be played in a house of worship most fitting its utilitarian nature: a night club, warehouse or anywhere a thick bass bin beckons. The Christian iconography depicted on the record’s inner label art speak to the EP’s titular concept but the two tracks featured here will most assuredly not be getting air time in any Sunday school classes. After DJing and producing from a Toronto base for nearly 2 decades it seems that a re-location to (surprise, surprise) Berlin has brought new attention his way. Last year’s “Chord Tracking” turned heads with its punchy, inspired tech-house and as evidenced by his LWE Podcast (precise mixing and a taste for house and techno that runs wide and far), the man knows a thing or two about what will work for the dance floor.
“Vespers” is at first glance a straightforward house track. The prominent kick drum, flanged shakers and subtle bongos of the first two minutes play right into the script for what could have been standard Ibadan fare, but instead Marshall takes it down an altogether different path. The moody, staccato keyboard melody, a palpitating arpeggio and a misting of found sound rahttp://wwwdio waves give “Vespers” a dark, psychedelic feel that creates an intriguing juxtaposition to the backing rhythm. With “Deep Knight Track,” on the other hand, Marshall wastes no time developing syntax and instead hits the ground running. The delayed keyboard vamps are purely Detroit-inspired in their energy and the layered percussion brings a solid, if perfunctory flow. But with little development of the overall melody and a noticeable lack of low-end dynamism “Deep Knight Track” stays true to its name and functions as just that, a track. Don’t take that as a slight. Marshall understands the value of putting malleable tools into the hands of DJs, like himself, who know how to put them to work.
