Legendary DJ and producer Jimmy Van M and Grammy-winning musician Diego Tuñón launch their new label Mater in style with a stunning EP from Budapest’s Peet, backed by a remix from themselves.
Peet’s title track kicks off in a moody fashion, with subtle keys licking building percussion. But the ante is soon upped with some heavy, nasty bass tones, and the track’s intensity levels climb steadily until the final breakdown. It’s a fantastic start to the EP, though given what follows, it’s actually my least favourite of the four tracks on offer.
‘Deeper Still’ is just that, with Peet setting the mood with a motoring bassline, crisp percussion, and trippy synths, and a hypnotic, rippling, and constantly shifting lead absolutely kicking things into orbit. This is like a peak-time version of the Dr. Who theme – it’s spacey, melodic, and awesome.
‘The Other Side Stand of the Giant Marble’ lives up to its Shpongle-worthy name, with Peet thowing murky basslines, low-tempo breaks, and dubby stabs at the listener, before lightening the mood with sublime cascading melodies and heavily processed vocal sounds. The breakdown introduces melancholic countermelodies, which work beautifully with the other elements for a poignant but exciting finale.
Finally, label-bosses Diego Tuñón and Jimmy Van M get their hands on ‘The Other Side Stand…’, working the sounds from Peet’s breakdown into a dramatic intro, before dropping us into a low-tempo stomp with a wicked electro bassline. The middle section of the remix is full of acidic squelches and soaring strings, vocal sweeps, and fragments of Peet’s gorgeous melodies, before it drops away to nothing. But we’re not done yet, as we’re treated a surprisingly uplifting final sequence, which throws back in all of the beautiful sounds we’ve heard already in the remix, while adding some lovely retro synths and powerful key changes.
This is a bold-mission statement from Mater, suggesting that we can expect both kick-ass club material and mesmerizing electronica from the label, all with a wonderfully experimental edge. My favourite here from Peet is ‘Deeper Still’, though both versions of ‘The Other Side Stand…’ are unique and deeply moving.