Innervisions certainly know a thing or two about good house records. Since co-founders Dixon and Âme began the label as an offshoot of their popular Berlin club night “Innercity” back in 2005, a steady output of consistently excellent music has seen Innervisions become one of the leading purveyors of quality house and techno. The latest addition to the label is Ten Walls and, although details about the producer remain somewhat sketchy, this first release displays huge promise.
The titular track’s ability to get dancefloors moving is nigh on irrefutable. Any track that clocks in at over nine minutes runs the risk of not sustaining the listener’s attention but in Ten Walls’ more-than-capable hands “Gotham” never takes its foot off the pedal. With its captivating synth line and understated simplicity, it isn’t difficult to see why “Gotham” was such a weapon for DJs at the 2013 instalments of Movement and Sónar. “Epos” works similarly well on the floor. Nimble percussive claps and smooth synth pads are met with subtle bass stabs in a very jazz-flavoured affair. The EP’s finale “Moag” takes things down a touch, with its compact synths a particular highlight. Significantly slower than what came before, “Moag” gives off a sense of serenity that contrasts with its preceding counterparts excellently.
It’s this sense of diversity that makes the EP such an essential listen. While it remains a coherent product from start to finish, there’s more than enough variety in each of the EP’s individual tunes to suggest that plenty of ground remains for this producer to explore further. Details about Ten Walls may remain scarce, but if this first effort is anything to go by then keep an ear out for what’s next.
Stream: Ten Walls – Gotham (Innervisions)
Ten Walls’ Gotham EP is available now on Innervisions.
