This is Volume 3 and the final part of Genius of Time’s “Vocal Series,” a collection of EPs built around vocal hooks and minimal and dubby but vibrant instrumentation. Harold Heath reviewed Vol 1, Rave Breaks, earlier this year. It “takes that Bicep shimmering mournful synth/breakbeat template and does a really good job of it,” he wrote. That’s true for the title track of Vocal Series Vol III: You Make Me, a three track EP with two vocalists and some memorable moments carved into black wax. Ashar Khan’s vocals carry the first two tunes, including the cinematic title track. This could work well enough in a club, sure, but there’s such a dramatic flair and a deeply emotional vibe to it that it would probably work best of all on a soundtrack (you can almost picture the mise en scène in your head as you listen to it).

“Magnified” is Genius Of Time’s homage to the UK Garage sound, with a big, oppressive bass looming over the most remarkable vocal by Khan. Khan’s voice sounds sometimes male, sometimes female and sometimes both or neither. I don’t mean an overall androgyny, in the sense of Sylvester or Q Lazzarus — I mean from line-to-line, and sometimes word-to-word. After several listens you think you’ve got it figured out, but isolate any single line and it’s straddling that ambiguity again. Khan delivers the most distinctive, unique vocal performance I’ve heard on record lately here. In an industry where we consciously recycle everything from style to the literal music itself, it really stands out as something superb.

The record wraps with “Kinetic” featuring Matinda. The music is thick as syrup and twice as sticky, and Matina’s vocal has that sing-song quality that I love about some early Detroit house tracks. Quality production is a given but this record is quality house through and through.

⚪️ You Make Me Tracklisting

Genius of Time featuring Ashar Khan & Matinda: You Make Me EP (Aniara Recordings / March 14 2025)
1. You Make Me feat. Ashar Khan
2. Magnified feat. Ashar Khan
3. Kinetic feat. Matinda

⚪️ Disclosure Statement

This record was submitted as a promo.

 

5 Mag Issue 218
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MOVE! Originally published in 5 Mag Issue #218 featuring Detroit’s ambassador-at-large, Mike Agent X Clark, plus Mystic Freaks, DJ Slugo and more. Become a member for $2/month and get every issue in your inbox right now…

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