PREMIERE : Donald's House & DJ Chrysalis - Pound Bend

Les Yeux Orange

Not An Animal is a label born from the party debris left uncleaned from London’s infamous Bad Passion parties, as ran by Chris Stoker and Andy Bainbridge. For the next release on the East London imprint Donald’s House and fellow antipodean DJ Chrysalis give Not An Animal Records the intercontinental treatment with a four-track transpacific delivery of psyche-laden progressive house music melded with the sleazy stylistics we have come to expect and love from NAAR releases. Melbourne native Donald’s House is the pseudonym for the sonic explorations of James Isaacs. His sound is as distinguishable as it is diverse, and his musical endeavours has seen him release on Touch From A Distance, Permanent Vacation and Wax’ O Paradiso. DJ Chrysalis, also based in Melbourne, a bubbling DJ and dance producer who has had heavy releases on Public Possession, KANN, and Plush Records Inc. The outcome of this pairing is a cohesive late-night package with an exceptionally current sound whilst somehow remaining thoughtfully reminiscent. ‘Pound Bend’ leads with a breakbeat, and the scene is set by layers of proggy synth patterns before descending into a powerfully dark, driving bassline. Apiento takes a stab at the title cut delivering in a more introspective effort, stripping it back to a reprogrammed bass groove, infectiously enlivened by an earworm synth loop that is likely to stay with you for eternity. ‘A Curious Warmth’ drops a bassline that ploughs through a soundscape of delicately programmed drum patterns layered with pads and new-age trance synths, while a scattering of housey breaks and pads reinvigorate the track in the latter half. ‘Tingler Ring’ brings things down to a slower burn as the bassline is left to drive the cut, accented by a haunting of delay laden stabs whilst acid synths sit at the forefront bringing the EP to its close.