We get hype with expectation whenever our sought out labels announce releases with our favourite artists. Just like this one, the Semtek run Don’t Be Afraid imprint have announced a record from Farah (formerly known as Darling Farah) officially out next month.
Last year saw the release of Body, Farah’s full length masterpiece that was a stand-out for 2012. His leftfield house vibes were hazy journeys made of sharp, crafted sounds. It grabbed us instantly and has been rinsed since. We mentioned at the time that the eerily addictive album was top-notch but still sounded like he had more to offer the scene. The Metal Irene EP is what we’ve been waiting for.
With five cuts on the EP it’s surprising that no two sound alike. They’re all dark in that comforting way and scattered to their own degree to sound like a proper journey with sounds discovering each other as they go along. The opening track ‘Cloudy Apple’ is a robotnik and raw house jam that represents what sounds good on wax at the moment, lo-fi distortion dancing with warehouse system kicks and snares. The beatless synth-epic ‘Humming’ which closes off the A-side is a nice reminder of how far a good producer can push his tracks and still keep them in his signature sound.
If we had to choose a stand-out it would be ‘Lockhead’ – which balances the club-beats with the algorithmic computer jam vibes that feature on the show so often. That wonderful coming together of what we’d classify experimental electronic with something for the big system. But that’s just picking the best of an incredible bunch, all five tracks are brilliant.
This record couldn’t have found a better home than DBA, who’ve had a bumper twenty-four months spearheaded by the success of Mr. Beatnik’s Synthetes Trilogy. Benji Semtek’s ear for label curation comes from his dedication to music, and as a stand-out producer and record spinner of his own right. Just got word that this in fact one of three December releases for the label, with Neville Watson and Max D rounding it off before Christmas comes.
Big ups Farah, dude is a proper talent. Can’t wait to play this one out. Samples below, press release underneath that.
Artist: FARAH
Title: METAL IRENE EP
Label: DON’T BE AFRAID
Catalogue: DBA014
Format: 12” & Digital
Release Date: 09/12/13
Tracklist
A1. Cloudy Apple
A2. Speak On The Spotlight
A3. Humming
B1. Lockhead
B2. Pieced Apart
Farah (formerly Darling Farah), joins Don’t Be Afraid for his first release of the year, and his first under the newly shortened pseudonym. The itinerant young producer adopts a uniquely non-conformist approach to house and techno on this ep, as evidenced by the arcade game-sampling Cloudy Apple and the deranged funk of Lockhead. Speak On The Spotlight meanwhile presents a deeper option, whilst Humming and Pieced Apart hint at Farah’s sound design credentials.