Emotion II Emotion - EIIE

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  • "Feels Good." "I Can't Help Myself." "I Need You." "Work." These phrases are among the biggest clichés associated with house music. There are plenty of artists who are doing interesting things with these ideas. But judging from their debut on Skylax's self-consciously retro house label Wax Classic, cliché is all that Miracles Club-affiliated duo Emotion II Emotion have to offer. "Feels Good" starts off with a jacking retro shuffle; pianos, strings, vocal stabs, it's completely inoffensive. Once the Kerri Chandler-esque synth saxophone comes in, you'll either be grooving right along with them or rolling your eyes in derision. Heading down a different well-trodden path, "I Can't Help Myself" and "Work" both prop up an MK-style organ riff on choppy drum machines. The latter, looping an apathetic "let me see you work" sample, sounds almost cynical in its complacency. These are serviceable classic-style house tracks, but it's no exaggeration to say they don't add much to the templates they're based on. There's no sly winking or wry personality, hallmarks that make artists working in a similar regard (e.g. Bicep, Huxley) so palatable. "I Need You" is the moment of redemption, providing a sudden burst of conviction with a soaring vocal and an infectious chord progression that almost constantly threatens climax.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Feels Good A2 I Can't Help Myself B1 I Need You B2 Work
RA