Sophie - Bipp / Elle

Label: Numbers

The mysterious producer known as Sophie exploded onto the scene with January’s Nothing More To Say, a slice of dancefloor dynamite as rhythmically tough as it was unashamedly sugar-coated. The over-saturated synths and euphoric vocals could have so easily been too much to handle, but the single danced elegantly on the outer limits of taste, resulting in one of the year’s most irresistible singles to date – it demanded to be danced to.

Jackmaster’s Numbers imprint is a perfect fit for Sophie’s next outing, following the bombastic iridescence of Rustie’s Triadzz/ Slasherr. Yet while that single felt a tad derivative, its reliance on the trappings of pop and trap making the A side in particular come off as a case of style over substance, Sophie’s sophomore release is a more considered, subtle affair. That’s not to say that this pair of tracks is subdued – indeed, most dancers will need to don a pair of shades before listening, but Sophie’s ability to contrast saccharine melodies and chipmunk vocals with genuine rhythmic complexity and a vein of unpredictability comes up with rather stunning results.

Bipp is the single’s main attraction; where a candy-coated vocal line trips ecstatically over a sharp field of blips, pops, and sun-streaked synthwork. After such a strong debut, Sophie could easily have continued to craft sharp, summery house, yet his decision to go so radically off-piste suggests a singular, adventurous spirit. One of the key facets of Bipp's appeal is Sophie’s decision to eschew f big drops and breakdowns, instead threading the catchy vocals over an erratic field of dropped bass hits and stuttering synthwork, resulting in a thrilling, giddy listen.

Sophie’s production chops are brought to the fore on Bipp’s mutated sibling Elle, where searing strings and whistling noises are arranged over a disorientating field of tunnelling bass hits and insistent snares. Numbers may be one of the UK’s more reliable imprints, but once every so often – think Deadboy, Mosca or Slackk  - it introduces a stunning new talent to the world. Sophie’s latest is just such an offering: a technicolour marvel, that rare release that offers music that sounds authentically, exhilaratingly new.

8.5/10