Feature: Artist Spotlight - Disclosure

The Free EP

Whole EP stream

Although Disclosure’s free EP was released about 4 months ago, I never got round to reviewing it, and having unearthed it recently on my iPod, I think this little collection really deserves a review. Better late than ever eh? Disclosure are south London brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence, and with this free EP they really introduced themselves to the dance world with a bang rather than a whimper. The duo make pretty clear-cut bass music, with airy synths and swirling vocal samples, but they’ve managed to establish a distinctive sound and an incredibly impressive consistency of quality in their few releases, and there’s no better place to start than this EP.

Opener Carnival is a Technicolor mission statement, building from record hiss and a looped synth line into a vibrant beast of a track with great garage rhythms, quickly setting itself apart from similar songs through tight production and an irresistible energy that should get anyone moving. Although the first and last tracks on the EP, released as a double A-side earlier this year, have got more press than any of their other tracks, that’s not to say the rest is merely filler. Both My Intention Is War! and the stellar Blue You cut up lilting vocal lines before exploding into fantastic cuts of bass; the former dropping into a gorgeous groove, and the latter lifting off into woozy synths and on-point vocal samples.  

Just Your Type unfurls slowly through bubbling synths and textured percussion to a great release where a dirty vocal line contrasts with airy synths and quickfire snares. All five of these tracks are great dance tunes, but it’s the last that really takes the top spot for me. i love...that you know is without a doubt one of my favourite tracks of the year, fizzing into life with a dizzying synth line and relaxing vibes. It’s an odd mix, not quite dance (maybe a set-closer) and not quite home-listening, but the track is simply extraordinary. The sound is so detailed and all the surprisingly disparate elements complement each other so perfectly, resulting in a lush and atmospheric track that I find it almost impossible to stop listening to.

With this small but fully-formed collection Disclosure have certainly put their names on the map, and every one of these tracks is a gorgeous piece of bass ripe for dancing. Debut EPs are rarely this consistent and skilful.

8/10

Recent remixes

Since these tracks, Disclosure haven’t put out any more solo material, but they have dropped a few excellent remixes, which I’ll take a little look at here.

Work it out

Their recent ‘Booty Call’ edit of Q-Tip’s Work It Out turns the much-remixed track into a soulful dance cut, overlaying a great female vocal line with a choppy wobble and their trademark bubbling and beeping synth noises.

Coconuts

The pair do even better in their recent remix of Jack Dixon’s slow and funky Coconuts. This is a totally smooth rework, taking Dixon’s vocal line all the way to the top and unleashing a bass cut with that same ineffable energy, wrapping smooth chords and RnB sounds in the very real warmth that their tracks somehow always exude.

Disclosure haven’t released that much so far, but their star has been rising for over a year now and it’s easy to see why: the sheer warmth and energy of these tracks is wonderful, and they just keep getting it right with every release. I can’t wait to see what the pair of them get up to next.