Italian producer Raw M.T’s self-titled EP, set for release at the end of the month on Ukrainian label Wicked Bass, comprises four serious selections. Wicked Bass have been releasing some hot stuff – we were 100% down for that Innershades EP a few months back, and of course we’re big fans of your boy Huerco S – and this EP does them proud. “Walkman Is Dead” is an exquisite combination of elasticated bass, heavenly synths and guileless percussion which trips its way around Raw M.T’s uptempo dreamscape, whilst “Sara” is an astute marriage of melancholia and buoyant drums. The originals definitely have a persuasive edge of their own, and would be plenty welcome in the mix, but Greg Beato’s remixes steal the show a little on this one. His recent releases on FunkinEven’s Apron Records and L.I.E.S have seen the Miami son putting out cuts that are anything but sunny – his name is already associated with cruel, distorted dancefloor beasts, rather than palm trees and azure waters. Beato’s reimagination of “Walkman Is Dead” empties the track out, stripping it down and saturating each element until it moodily sinks down to earth. But it’s the rework of “Sara” that really gets us going. What kills is how Beato turns the track into a seven minute tease that somehow leaves you satisfied. He takes the silken sadness of the original and beats it into something more bitter but no less tasteful. The delicate hi-hats draw you in, only for you to discover that awaiting you are kicks which live up to their name with a nasty violence. Here, the prettiness of the highs make the lows altogether meaner and more dangerous. But the synths still spiral, and the bass melody which makes an appearance occasionally is pure charm – innocence that finds itself in the wrong place at the right time. This one is diamonds in the dirt, filth that you thank your lucky stars for finding. What’s next, Wicked Bass? We’re yours for the taking.
Stream: Raw M.T – Raw Music Theory [Wicked Bass]
Raw Music Theory is out later this month, hold tight and keep an eye on Wicked Bass’ twitter and facebook.
