- Thanks to some choice remix commissions and, as here, some strong original house productions on well-regarded labels, Youandewan is compiling an increasingly impressive discography. A year on from his EP for Simple, Ewan Smith shifts to its sister label, Aus, for a group of tracks that show off his adroit handling of classic house and techno tropes.
"Tino" is one of Smith's darkest trips yet, divebombing into heavy acid squiggles and crushing snares before bringing the mood straight back down with "Alright Son," which, like last year's "You Tired," shows some serious Larry Heard love. The "son" of the title is perhaps wordplay, as Smith opens the drapes to allow shafts of soft-focus percussion to flood in. It's the perfect bed for emotional chords and a dainty synth melody to settle on.
"FM Jam" finds Smith continuing in a more plaintive mood. It's a soulful workout that rejoices in a disco bassline and frequent squalls of the FM synths after which it's named. The track is tastefully remixed by Andrés, who manages to wring every last drop of soul from it—no surprises there, then—treating it with complex bass patterns and dots of Rhodes to add another subtle shade to a vivid EP.
TracklistA1 Tino
A2 Alright Son
B1 FM Jam
B2 FM Jam (Andrés Remix)