Red D’s Chez EP

Bubbling up on the ever-excellent Freerange Records is the Chez EP from Belgian producer Red D who, although a brand new name for me, appears to be doing all the right things here in Europe, with releases on Delusions Of Grandeur and sets at Berlin’s infamous Panorama Bar.

Title track “Chez” is a delightfully compact Deep House tune, characterized by warm chords and incredibly simple, tight drum patterns. Often the most memorable electronic tunes use a deceptively small palette of sounds and don’t hide behind masses of fussy effects in order to get their message across; “Chez” is a fantastic case in point. Having road-tested this little gem I can safely say that “Chez’s” simple magic is infectious. As much as I’d like to find a more expansive way to put this, in the spirit of its straightforward approach I’ll simply say that it feels really good in the club.

Jacob Korn’s remix of “Chez” places those perky chords over a much more ambitious soundscape, insistent drums giving way to trippy, delayed percussion. Korn’s mix plays with the space, steadily building into a late-night club track which pulsates with energy.

“Into Darkness” feels a little retro thanks to its 707 drum patterns and slightly detuned analogue pads, swimming with early melodic Detroit sensibilities. The track floats along very smoothly until around two minutes when it suddenly transforms into a tough little dirtbag. If this track was a person, it would be the type to pick your pocket while making out with you. Jacob Korn appears to have enjoyed remixing “Chez” so much that he’s returned to attack “Into Darkness” with the same gusto. His version gets straight to the point with an off-kilter bassline and heavy distorted drums leading to rather an unruly climax, screeching synths and white noise destined to cause a good old-fashioned commotion on the dancefloor.