Anthony Naples – El Portal

Label: Trilogy Tapes

After a meteoric rise last year off the back of one release (which took the number 4 spot in our year-end roundup), young Brooklynite Anthony Naples is out to prove himself in 2013, with a new label and two other releases already under his belt before May. For his entry into Will Bankhead’s tasteful Trilogy Tapes imprint, Naples dials up the ambience, showing off that the lofi house skills that his unique knack for DIY textures and dusty atmospheres has real staying power.

 

The opening title track is hazier than anything Naples has done to date; here hi-hats rattle off as a miasma of synths slowly thickens into a persistent roar. It’s heady stuff, but Naples keeps toying with the sound, subjecting the sounds to a violent bluster of static wind before a spot of moody, delay-drenched sampling (think Panda Bear underwater) closes out the track. This tune also paves the way for the EP’s other dance-friendly cut, the standout Busy Signal. Here Naples toys with an intoxicating synth wash, as dusty beats clatter lazily over the occasional vocal accent, resulting in a perfect Sunday afternoon listen so drenched in mood that you won’t ever want to surface.

The remaining tracks play into Trilogy Tapes’ penchant for throwing a curveball at their listeners. Pueblo is a curiosity that ambles along at a glacial pace, playful keys laid thick over sputtering hats and snares. Meanwhile on closer La Cuarta Naples offers a gorgeous arpeggio that plays out beatlessly until the late entry of a thudding kick, a tune that screams to be used as a hypnotising set opener. If anyone had any doubts about Naples, El Portal should firmly push these aside, showcasing a young artist with a more distinctive voice than his early lofi house mutations promised. Across the EP Naples plays with simple loops in a heady, loose-limbed fashion, crafting four leftfield gems that exude pure class and talent.

7.5/10