Dusky – Nobody Else

Label: Aus

UK duo Dusky continue their rapid rise to the top with a fresh EP on Will Saul’s Aus imprint, following a series of increasingly tough-edged jackers on School, (Aus sister-imprint) Simple, Anjunadeep and Dogmatik. The pair have so far excelled due to their deft skill attaching catchy melodies and vocals to dark house rollers, peppering their productions with elements of bass and garage where necessary. Their latest is no different, offering another tasty selection of top-notch body music which, while it doesn’t depart from their established sound,  is sure to dominate the ‘floors over the coming months.

The pair kick off proceedings with one of their most anthemic tunes to date in the form of title cut Nobody Else. A classic diva vocal loop and canny strings add a grandeur to the no-nonsense bassline (which ranks among the duo’s finest since Flo Jam). Second cut What I Never Knew takes things deeper, resurrecting their Calling Me EP’s penchant for reverb-drenched, pitched-down vocals and twinning them with their trademark stable of tough, techy beat patterns and moody atmospheric details.

While the first two cuts are undeniably precision-built for the groove, those looking for a little variation should turn to the EP’s B-side. Third cut Atone is a notable departure from the pair’s established sound, where wordless vocal clips and a swooping bass bounce intoxicatingly intertwine beneath a pots-n-pans drum loop. Dusky’s special knack for epic breakdowns remains intact, with an emotive female croon lightening proceedings before that nasty bass bounce comes back with a vengeance. Final cut Dummy is also sure to garner attention, an unstoppable stomper where a cheeky bouncing bassline, sure to kill in the club, is all that’s needed to make for a killer close.

Nobody Else is another faultless selection of club-killers from Dusky, but considering the rate that they put them out and the general lack of variation in their sonic palette, one can’t help but feel that their releases are beginning to feel a little functional. The tunes are fun and undeniably effective, but let’s hope that before the duo churn out their next release they give some thought to changing up their game and putting those polished skills to the test with some new sounds.

7/10