Last December after letting loose a few cheeky demos on his Soundcloud Kevin Eames released a free collaborative LP, “Bricks”, with one of Canada’s best-kept secrets Prison Garde. The result of multiple jam sessions in their studio, they produced an album of unfiltered, no frills house music complete with sharp basslines and classic drum machines. Those ingredients mixed together tend to create wannabe 1988 Chicago tracks for 2012, but thankfully the final result was more modern and personal. Before we slip into a complete state of nostalgia let’s talk about Eames’ latest solo work “The Eddie Willer EP”; who’s Eddie Willer?
Stream: Kevin Eames – Untitled 8 (Sub|Division)
The EP consist of three untitled tracks that all use a similar palette of sounds. It’s no secret that the best tracks are often the simplest, case and point, “Untitled 8”. Built out of a pounding 808, a few open hats, and no more than five notes laying out the bassline he works a groove and vibe six minutes; it felt like the track was only just getting started! Say goodbye to 4×4, “Untitled 9’s” drum programming reminds us of an electro track from the get-go. Using similar bass tones as “Untitled 8”, number 9 has significantly more energy with a glossy, artificial pad to create contrast. The final track, you guessed it “Untitled 10” obviously uses the same equipment as the last two; was this entire EP crafted in one jam session? Both numbers 8 and 10 share a lot in common, the largest being that both are slow burners, which focus on creating a grove and vibe, rather than using the immediacy of a drop. This one’s super sleek; airy, dubbed out keys with cutoffs that open and close at a rate similar to the pace of the track keep you mesmerized. The female vocal chanting “go” also helps keep us hypnotized. It’s as if you’re waiting for something, which honestly never comes (that’s not necessarily a bad thing either). Basically this is a slice of cool, stripped house music and definitely Truants material.
Stream: Kevin Eames – Untitled 10 (Sub|Division)
Kevin Eames’s “The Eddie Willer EP” is available as a free download on Sub|Division.
