Edward ‎– Inside Out EP

For its first release, France's Blooming Soul label turns to Berlin's Edward, of the WHITE and Giegling labels, and his compadre Oskar Offermann on the remix, for three tracks of dusky but invigorating house music for the basement or the backyard. "Let Me In," with its ethereal chimes and floating chords, has a definite Pantha Du Prince vibe, with a nod to Efdemin in its scuffed, almost incidental percussion. The track has an impeccable sense of balance, whether between soft chords and scratchy rhythms, or the linear, hypnotic groove and the slight harmonic variations that give it depth.

Offermann's "Let Me In" remix is tougher right from the off, its dull snares and clanging reverb clearly informed by warehouse spaces, and with a muted wildpitch drawing the background taut. Somehow, though, it sneaks through a backdoor to arrive in a much warmer place. Still, compared to the original, a sense of detachment prevails; instead of melancholy, there's a steely resolve. "Take Me Out" has the most character, between its wriggly portamento synths and nagging 909 snare; the midrange is a blue flame of chime. The spoken loop, "take me out of it," a kind of juke-inspired refrain, works at cross-purposes to the music's deep-diving instincts, leaving you rolling in the chop on the surface.
Philip Sherburne