Church simply aren’t letting up. 2016 has already seen the camp drop a flurry of cosmic flecked ear-pleasers, and Sun Ra, courtesy of Australian-native Mall Grab, is no different. We predicted big things for this guy in the coming year, and here we are, it’s only February and he’s already strung together an EP that unites pleasure and power. Sun Ra showcases a wonderful simplicity to his productions: ambient tones spurred on by powerful kicks and solid 4/4 house grooves, that are just aching to be played out on a big system.
Opener ‘Down’ introduces a stammering kick and soaring melodic keys that lift the record from the depths of the cosmos. Muffled vocal samples, reminiscent of an astronaut communicating with the earth, are added to the mix, giving it a stirring, somewhat ethereal quality perfect for a dazed 7am crowd. Keeping the EP firmly in the heavens comes ’French Girls’. It has the enveloping cosmic warmth of a Traumprinz release, the hollow pitter-patter of the bongos giving expanse to a production hazily submerged in the sounds of a distant chattering crowd.
Picking up the pace, ‘Sun Ra’ posses resounding kick punches, harking back to the sounds of Detroit, yet those glowing ambient beams are everpresent. Aptly closing the EP is 4/4 house roller ‘Can’t’ – smooth R&B vocals from Mala’s Alicia Keys refix are driven by floating tranquil notes. First heard last summer, it oozes sex and emotion and we envisage it will continue into this summer as a staple dancefloor groove.
Sun Ra EP is out on March 11 via the Church Marble series. You can preorder the EP at Phonica and all the other usual spots.
