UK electronic act Itona releases the ‘You’ EP. Comprising three original tracks and a remix from Italian duo Palladian, the EP explores various shades of house and electronic and is possibly his most fully realised body of work to date. Itona is the newly launched alias from James Vine, aka ENiGMA Dubz - a departure from his bass-heavy sound.
Meaning ito (love) and na (summer) in Japanese, the project was inspired while James was at home during the UK’s lockdown in the middle of 2020. In response to the challenges many were facing, he set about creating electronic music to help himself and others escape, while still aiming to provide a deep and thought-provoking outlet.
The first track to be released from the EP, ‘You Are So’ is a downtempo electronic cut that uses a combination of synth lines, drums and vocal textures to effect.
The EP then shifts gears with ‘Hold Me’ which could could be described as deep house. Here he demonstrates his skill with vocal manipulation, transforming them into sonic textures, layered in amongst bass pulses, syncopated synth lines and drums.
Leading with waves of synth and restrained broken beat rhythm, ‘I’ll Show You How’ is dense with detail, from the organic-sounding percussion to the half-caught snatches of vocal to the ‘80s-esque melodic flourishes that appear towards the end of the track.
Completing the package is Barcelona-based Palladian’s remix of ‘Hold Me’, which focuses on creating atmospheric music based on a mix of sharp tones and melodies. They transform the track into a heady lo-fi house cut, with chords, muted percussion and gently rising synth lines blended to create the track.
The ‘You’ EP is out now on Morii Records, check it out below.
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