- Thomas Melchior has been making records for well over 20 years in a host of different styles. His Melchior Productions guise has always focused on house, however, which is where we find him on 'Don Juan/In the Spirit', the lead single for his new album No Disco Future on Perlon.
The lush influence of 2-step was writ large over Melchior's early singles and first album on Playhouse, yet here Melchior’s sound is more akin to his Soul Capsule project: The organs and 909s are gone, replaced with an altogether more alien sound design. Despite this, the shuffled rhythms remain, and the result is two sides of prime house reduction. 'Don Juan' marries vocal snippets, maracas and a Wiley-esque accordion riff to produce a propulsive and beautiful yet markedly odd track for the very late night. A bassline reminiscent of a frustrated trumpet pulls ‘In the Spirit’ along, layers of chiming synths building until the dubby mid-range makes the release complete. Again, this probably wouldn't work in a club anytime before 6 a.m., but I love the swung groove, and I love that Melchior makes minimal music that defies the genre’s reputation as dry and un-funky.
While neither track here quite lives up to some of the glistening intensity that can be found on No Disco Future, both are excellent examples of what can still be done in the microhouse genre.
TracklistA Don Juan
B In The Spirit