- Max Ulis is fast becoming one of Vancouver's leading lights in underground dance music. He teams up with his brother Self Evident on this release for his own 10Pin imprint for "Eastsiders." It's a trippy little trifle, a 140 BPM stumbler drowning in pitched-down vocals, whistling sci-fi synths and stuttering breakdowns.
"Eastsiders" reflects where the duo was a year ago more than it does today. On their solo turns, we get better ideas of where they stand currently: Ulis' "Knowledge" is a blackened house gallop overstuffed with percussive accents, while Self Evident's "Number One Stunna" is a bombastic, horn-driven 160 BPM number that nicely showcases his ongoing interest in hip-hop.
In its back half, the EP becomes a de facto showcase for Pacific Northwest talent. First up is Washington resident Cedaa, who throws his weight behind "Eastsiders," speeding it up to a needling skitter, while Vancouverite HxdB puts one of his ghostly garage spins on the track. Both of those remixes centre around the song's spectral synth motif, but it's Prison Garde (recently relocated to Montreal) who takes the bravest route, stuffing the track with his antsy, crystalline analogue synths and completely changing its tone from quirky to scrappy and club-ready.
Tracklist 01. Max Ulis & Self Evident - Eastsiders
02. Max Ulis & Self Evident - Knowledge
03. Max Ulis & Self Evident - Numba One Stunna
04. Max Ulis & Self Evident - Eastsiders (Cedaa Remix)
05. Max Ulis & Self Evident - Eastsiders (HXDB Remix)
06. Max Ulis & Self Evident - Eastsiders (Prison Garde Remix)