Since its rise, the Blip Discs label has explored a vibrant landscape of dance textures, with driving forces of rhythm, projecting it as a platform for crossover sounds. With only two prior releases, from owner Tom Blip and O’Flynn, Oberyn/Spyglass presents the highly sought return of one of the most mature and enthralling new names to emerge in UK dance circles last year.
Opener ‘Oberyn’ places you in the grasp of rushing waves of bass, that crash against rattling percussion. The A-side gradually builds up a grainy yet breathable atmosphere that takes you from a murky basement towards chirping shores of Africa. A carefully structured juxtaposition, with a very effective arrangement of sounds, this will be highly effective when used in the right hands.
The EP really comes to life on ‘Spyglass’ which unravels much more freely into a melodic jazzy house affair, losing the tense bass of before and replacing it with glowing piano chords and a shimmering saxophone. The momentum of the drums is a lot looser, allowing peppered vocals to float around like a cloud of smoke, without taking too much away from any of the other soulful elements. As a label, Blip Discs keep pushing captivating releases, presenting landscapes of sounds and infectious grooves that don’t hang around on the shelves for long either. With a producer of O’Flynn’s calibre at their disposal, the label are slowly but surely building a timeless catalogue of music.
Oberyn / Sypglass is out 23rd March, vinyl only. Pre-order from Phonica, Piccadilly and all the other usual spots.
