(Drum & Bass, Liquid funk) Askel & Elere - Yeah Alright EP - 2019, MP3, 320 kbps

'Juho Kavasto and Sainey Gibba, better known as Askel & Elere, slid into the Soulvent soundscape way back in April last year with their gloriously slick single Last Leaves. The pair then followed up their debut with Once, featured on February’s 5 Years of Soulvent album. We welcome their unique sound back onto one of East London’s finest independent imprints, with a jazz infused masterclass in Finnish DnB.
Coincidences launches into gear with a rising synth and bounding bongos, which break into a luscious Rhodes. The drop sees in a chunky, pulsating synth bass and the second brings a quirky, syncopated counter-point melody that works in-step with the chords effortlessly.
Chest-plate kicks and stifling snares bring in the sweeping pads of Deluge, which collide with the trickling twinkles of piano and warm, guttural bass. The subtle strings after the second drop round out Deluge’s progression nicely. This track really shows off the duos’ understanding of space in composition.
Until She Turns Her Back begins with a simpler approach, and will straight up have you reaching for your double bass air-plucks in the dance. This bad boy bassline takes centre stage, underpinned by a straightforward rolling break, while the seemingly random keys solo in the breakdown simply ooze class.
Last up, title-track Yeah Alright closes out the EP in foreboding fashion. With creepy vocal samples reminiscent of Portal & Half Life, and big lurching subs, this one is a certified head-nodder.'