Replica (Vinyl)

A student of the Weatherall school of DJing, Asa Tate has showcased an astonishingly mature approach to production over the years that belies his age. You’d be forgiven for thinking these four tracks had been discovered from a dusty DAT tape, locked away in the vaults of a northern Italian club, and rediscovered after 30 years….Listen more closely, and you’ll notice the contemporary production flair and more recent influences that make this EP a perfect reinterpretation of the mid-90s house sound: sitting somewhere between dream house and Morales’ finest work under the Red Zone moniker.

The EP wastes no time in setting its intentions with the A1 Title Track, “Replica” - after a brief and floaty progressive house intro, the refrain “ E-e-e-e-e-e-e-ECSTASY” echoes loudly over sampled vocals, euphoric piano chords, throbbing lead synths, and a bouncy tech house bass line. It straddles so many subgenres of house without feeling derivative of any of them. Clichés and classic samples are embraced playfully and serve to contextualise and elevate the influences. This is not just really great house music or excellent storytelling; it’s art history.

“89” is a sultry deep house cut featuring rising Spanish star, Dariam Coco, on vocals. It floats like a butterfly, but stings like a bee, as the soft chords are interrupted with huge drum fills, deftly transforming an after-party jam to a peak-time moment.

We continue to “Unknowns” - a masterclass in building tension and holding it - this track simmers with restrained intensity for almost six minutes. It’s trademark Asa Tate production at its most understated and classy.

We round off the EP with the fittingly titled “Last Dance”, a wistful composition that brings us back down to earth slowly, safely and gently; always grooving but never pushing - this one is the soundtrack to the end of a long summer day and reaffirms Asa Tate’s claim to be a modern master of Deep House.