Out right now on Osunlade’s legendary Yoruba Records comes Glasgow producer Vincent Watson’s new EP, and first for the label, Eminesence. He’s not a newcomer though, having produced music for over 20 years, and released it on labels such as Cocoon, Ovum Recordings, Bedrock, Poker Flat and Planet E.
Eminesence opens with the sparkling ‘A Moment With Lonnie’, a introverted ambient track, as opposed to his more usual house and techno crossover. Backed with a healthy dose of electronic hue and covered in waves of tumbling synths, its actually more emotive and more human than on first listen.
The title track sees Watson on more familiar territory, as Eminesence oozes funk, with its bubbling bassline, 808 claps and evolving percussion. Over the top these mysterious synths drip onto the track before it unfurls into this Balearic piano house track, but one for the come down rather than floor filler. What it is though, with these repetitive snatches of melody sugaring it all, is beautiful.
Calypso, unsurprisingly, rocks a more tribal groove, with these disco hats and bongos to the fore. The jazzy chords that tumble over the top make it shine and bake in the laid back heat, and it gradually evolves into this, well, Calypso house track – the off beat synth and jittery bassline giving it that ‘feet must move’ feeling.
Under the Skin finishes the EP, a slow burner that begins with these sultry strings, before dropping this melancholy piano riff all over it, and letting it maunder into the sunset with its RnB bassline and shuffling percussion. Its the gorgeous end to a hugely enjoyable EP. No wonder he’s been doing it for 20 years, Vincent Watson is a magician with the beats.
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