Jake Chudnow - Shona

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  • With 2012's disaster behind them and a return to home turf ahead, Bloc. remains one of the UK's most beloved dance music institutions. Their lineups are forward-thinking and tend towards leftfield headliners over main room big guns, so you'd expect their label to have great potential. Bloc.'s first release, timed with their 2015 revival, comes from the relatively unknown London producer and drummer Jake Chudnow. The EP offers two versions of "Shona." The original is a rousing club track in the vein of Border Community. Built from stringy analogue textures, it periodically thickens and thins. In spite of its livewire feel, "Shona" feels slightly too careful for the euphoria it's striving for. That's exactly where the ambient "Prelude To Shona" succeeds. It blooms into church organ splendor before settling in a pool of shimmering liquid, rippling with the wistful tones of the original. It's a glimpse at compositional prowess only hinted at in "Shona," and a sign that maybe Chudnow is more adept at making tracks outside the club context. Considering the wide scope of Bloc.'s sound, that doesn't necessarily make him a bad fit.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Shona A2 Prelude to Shona
RA