FINA Records returns this month with a four-tracker from British producer Guy Andrews, entitled the ‘Annum’ EP. Guy has been a prominent name on the underground circuit as of late, racking up a back catalogue with releases and remixes for the likes of Hotflush, Hemlock and The Vinyl Factory. He’s also seen heavy support on the aforementioned singles from the likes of Lorca, The Black Dog and A1 Bassline, showing his understated take on house and techno.
The release opens with ‘Divide’, a brooding house cut employing punchy organic drums, smooth ethereal synthesizers and dubbed out chord progressions as its driving force. Andrews throws in a modern drawn-out bass hook to add a contemporary touch to the otherwise classic format, resulting in an understated opener for the EP. Up next is ‘7AM’, embracing a similarly natural percussive edge, with rolling toms, heavily reverberated claps and shakers taking the reins, while emotive melodies and bulbous low-end tones drive the musicality. First up on the B-Side is ‘Fixture’, taking on a more direct 4/4 approach with raw distorted drums, gritty electronic synth hooks and blossoming atmospherics. The record builds in this state for several minutes, before Andrews reverts back to the punchy drum groove and hypnotic pads to tail things out. Closing the EP Guy is ‘Tapes’, which tips the focus towards an off-kilter, deep aesthetic, with broken kicks, claps and shuffling hats, while swirling synths, vocal snippets and heavily delayed Rhodes build depth around them. It’s out now
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