- On last year's Never Look Back, Art Crime emerged with a distinctive take on house music: equal parts rave euphoria and weepy introspection. Interests were piqued, and more recently, the follow-ups have started to roll in. His EP on Crème Organization was narrowly pipped to the post by Obsession, which continued Never Look Back's loved-up vein. Renessense feels a little different. Some of the fog has been drained, and most of the EP lacks the bittersweet edge that made a track like "Release" so satisfying.
Most of the record explores darker moods and sorely lacks a redemptive edge. On "The Owner," spooky bell-chimes and murky synths carry the melody over a listless house stomp. The title track suffers from a similar problem, though its synth pads are whipped up into a more gratifying ice cloud. The producer reprises his trademark e-piano lines on "Anxiety Is Always Here," whose tinkling melodic cascades are the EP's best moment. Moody organ and a hyperactive bassline cut through "Intention"'s humid textures. As with the rest of Renessense, it's stylish but vague, failing to hit the poignant peaks of Art Crime's best.
TracklistA1 Anxiety Is Always Here
A2 The Owner
B1 Renessense
B2 Intention