Shimmering chords and and a slow drag makes Harvey Sutherland’s EP on the brand new Clarity imprint a rare gem.
In a world where the volume knob seems to be cranked to the right and broken the fuck off, here’s a man who makes music that could be covered by a live jazz band without anyone knowing its electronic origins.
“Priestess” is far from lounge-fare, however: sparkling chords cut with a diamond-like precision without ever falling on the wrong side of those claps. The only bad part of “Priestess” on vinyl is that 9:03 doesn’t even seem anywhere near long enough: a full side and I immediately longed to start all over at the beginning to take the journey again. The virtuosity of the performances here make this: unlike some records where pyrotechnics take the place of emotion, everything on “Priestess” stays in the pocket, nothing falls out of line or out of focus.
“Bravado” takes it back to an imaginary past – I hear a jazz band, a funk band from the Caribbean and maybe some Space Age Bachelor Pad session players, all vying for influence over hearts and minds. A hot wire runs through here with a wild synthesizer close behind and gives you something to hang on to. The drums are lively (and possibly live) on both tracks.
Originally published first in 5 Magazine Issue 139, featuring Jerome Baker, Hanna Hais, David Mancuso, Surface and Karen Copeland & more. Become a member of 5 Magazine for First & Full Access to Real House Music.
