Chaos In The CBD - Midnight In Peckham

Label: Rhythm Section

The Rhythm Section club night, a family affair run out of London’s Peckham Pool Club for the last year, has smoothly made the transition to record label over the last year. The team, helmed by rising star Bradley Zero, have been showcasing the jazzier side of London’s house scene, with notable releases from the likes of Henry Wu and Canada’s Local Artist. Their latest is one of the most chilled and mature yet, courtesy of Kiwi brothers Chaos In The CBD.

The pair have nimbly genre-hopped over EPs for the likes of ClekClekBoom, Hot Haus and Amadeus, and here they showcase a particularly laid-back strain of house, focusing on acoustic instruments and tasteful composition. It makes for a stylish, super-smooth listen, but the lack of variation in style means that some cuts shine brighter than others.

Observe is one of the best, an upbeat piano line clipping over a swaying, NuGroove synth line and bristling percussion. Later title cut Midnight In Peckham lets a sax drift lazily over feathery keys and twinkling synths, the soundtrack to a Film Noir coda where the detective and femme fatale drive off into a monochrome sunset.

Elsewhere the duo continue to mine the same jazzy strand of house, with Trust Is Key’s gentle melodic oscillations and the languid brass of Luxury Motivation, but the sonic homogeneity across the release means there’s little reason to play these ones out over the EP’s catchier siblings.

The kick drum has been relegated to a pulse across the four main tracks, but Chaos In The CBD join forces with club-jazz experimentalists Archie Pelago for a stomping final cut, its boom-bap beat unhurried but certainly adding a pinch of muscle to the delicate arrangement. As a whole the Midnight In Peckham EP doesn’t offer much in the way of variation, but if you dig house at its smoothest and most tasteful, there’s plenty of accomplished grooves on offer.

7/10

Read this review in context at Inverted Audio.

90s House Playlist

Bicep and a few others have been earning their stripes looking back to the punchy house sounds of the 90s, but they certainly aren't the first to do so. With this playlist, White Noise looks back to some of its favourite tracks from the era, as well as a few that predate the decade and a couple of tasty modern throwbacks from the early 2000s. Some classics here, and hopefully a few forgotten tunes that will provide new material for even the most ardent revivalists.

Disclaimer - This isn't all house, there's a fair helping of hardcore and garage, particularly towards the end, but all the tunes share that warm, upbeat feel that you just can't help but dance to.

Enjoy!

Tracklist:

Seven Grand Housing Authority - Love's Got Me High [1995]

Meli'sa Morgan - Still In Love (House Version) [1992]

Slam Slam - Move! (Dance All Night) [1991]

Liberty City - If You Really Love Someone [1994]

LNR - Work It To The Bone [1988]

K.A.T.O. - The Booty Dance (Nicholas Raw Interpretation) [2011]

Cajmere feat. Dajae - Brighter Days (Louie's MAW Mix) [1992]

Masters At Work - I Can't Get No Sleep (Ken / Lou Mix) [1993]

Studio Apartment feat. Yasmeen Sulieman - Sun Will Shine (MK Dub) [2008]

The Detroit Experiment - Think Twice (Henrik Schwarz Remix) [2009]

JohNick - C'mon Give It Up [2005]

Xpansions - Move Your Body (Elevation Club Mix)  [1990]

Rhythm Section - Emotion [1991]

Nightcrawlers - Push The Feeling On (Dub Of Doom) [1992]

Zak Toms - Bring Me Down (Stanton Warriors Mix) [2002]

Somore - I Refuse (What You Want) (Industry Standard Mix) [1997]

95 North - Let Yourself Go [1995]

Terrence Parker & Claude Young - Untitled (A2) [1993]

Nu-Birth - Anytime [1996]