- Francis Harris is making the best music of his career right now, and Anthony Collins can take some of the credit for that. The Parisian producer has had quite an effect on Harris (including convincing him to co-found the Scissor & Thread label) and the music they make together as Frank & Tony is some of the best in either artist's discography. Ahead of their upcoming debut album, they release an EP that towers over the six already excellent 12-inches they've put out so far.
When I interviewed Harris earlier this year, he spoke of his very personal connection with Terre Thaemlitz, AKA DJ Sprinkles. After a series of remixes, Harris and Thaemlitz finally collaborate properly on "Companion," which is as touching an effort as you could hope for from those two and Collins. "Companion" easily stands up against recent Sprinkles tracks. It digs a tunnel of reverb for distant gospel vocals to reverberate through, and perfectly matches Thaemlitz's gift for smouldering melodies with Harris and Collins' slinky rhythms.
It's a tough act to follow, but the two other cuts, both of which are taken from the upcoming LP, do just fine. "Bring The Sun" sounds like it could've been a holdover from Minutes Of Sleep, Harris's standout solo album. Again, the duo show an uncanny gift for slow-burning drama, pairing Gry Bagoien's pained vocal with low, almost funereal synths. Where you think it might get melodramatic it stays stoic, moving with the same restrained poise as deep house producers like Traumprinz. "Faded (Dub)" is a smoky house track that shows Harris's recent obsession with layering. Listen closely and you can hear what sounds like multiple levels of granular texture, all held up by a heavy, reassuring house music heartbeat.
TracklistA1 Companion feat. DJ Sprinkles (Vinyl Exclusive)
B1 Bring The Sun feat. Gry Bagoien
B2 Faded (Dub)