- Croatian Marko Pelaic has a history of radio Top 10s in his home country, and it's maybe for that reason that the lead single off his Hypercolour debut feels so safe. It's not bad by any means—the polite tinkle on the keys, standard chords and pop-leaning vocals all come together into a nice enough house joint, but they are rather less gripping than the other offerings around it.
"You Make Me Go," for example, also comes over like something from the UK charts circa '92, but this time there is a little extra urgency and bite in the elastic basslines. It's a cheery, feel good tune, for sure, and one you'd drop at the end of your set to send people off home on a high. So too "Sound in the Air" which I might call Gameboy House. Here's why: it's full of primary colours where so much house is woody, brown and sepia. It's also somewhat pixelated, charismatic and pacey, bringing to mind the left-to-right charges of Mario and Luigi as they smash boxes, leap onto platforms and gobble up various bonuses.
The most outright jam is "Treehouse" which again deals in the sort of vivid colours, wide tonal spread and quirky sonic invention you might hear in a video game. Snappy drums, a warm, storytelling bassline and repeated male vocal all race along with jazzy trumpets to make for something that's both fun and decidedly fresh. The final cut has Youandewan flip "Homeboy" upside down, and hold its head underwater as harmonic tears drip down its glassy façade, sinking ever deeper into an oceanic abyss below. There's a lightness of touch akin to that of Floating Points' "Sais" in places, with shuffling kicks shifting this way and that for four insular but compelling minutes.
Tracklist 01. Halfway feat. Anshie
02. Halfway feat. Anshie (Youandewan Remix)
03. You Make Me Go Crazy
04. Sound In D Air