Leeroy Thornhill – Lowrise E•P

This white label EP is expensive and hard to get hold of, but is a great record to own for fans of the early Prodigy and old school Acid house, hardcore and techno.

Originally purchased this EP for LOW2, which brings deep thought to a high energy set. The breakbeat sequences on this track are brilliant! The strings create epic moments and are layered well. LOW2 juxtaposes an unusual moodiness with its distinctive breakbeat samples. Usually play this one to signal that all good things come to an end. LOW1 works better near the opener as it advances a high energy vibe. Alternately I use this is as kind of a transition track into something happier. LOW1 is proto happy hardcore but has some soundclash sample and dark pads. The pitched shifted Ooooh-oooh might be a little campy. LOW1 is filled with contradiction and is doing a lot things at once, but I would definitely recommend this. There are measures on this that have a nasty underground damp feeling. The vocals "I tried hard to let you go" along with the sweet synth work make this track complex, style wise. The breakbeat pattern and tempo makes this even more distinctive, because it is arguably too slow to be considered happy hardcore, bonafide. HIGH1 is a slow tempo techno track that can be used to wind things down in a studio set, but would not move the dance floor. It is a good track thematically, for this EP, however. HIGH2 is memorable for its floaty vocal sample. I find it difficult to mix with the majority of hardcore as it is a bit slow. The heavy reverb and high pitched chanting provide surrealism and meditation. This EP gets a bad rep because of the price. It is definitely worthwhile as far as white labels are concerned. Would recommend for LOW2 alone.