- The low-key deep house producer shows his range on this vibrant double-pack.
- Slow Life's Sergio Moreira doesn't think of his first full-length release as an album. Instead, he considers It All Comes Back To Patterns a double EP of DJ tracks, because an album suggests a more significant artist statement. Folding his inspirations into mixable rhythms, an adherence to house conventions doesn't hamper the record's range, as the tracks contain strains of jazz, deep house, ambient, breakbeat, minimal, dubstep and even hip-hop.
Jazz-fusion is especially present on the slowest cut, "Deal With It," which rolls out electric piano stabs and chords over a languid acid spiral that's reminiscent of pitched-down Goa trance. Similar keys appear on the more alert "From Here To There," which develops into a loungey interplay between two piano lines. The tunes are too musical to be considered DJ tools, even though you could play any of them at a club. Tracks like the three-part jam session "Bring Back The Light" are more like songs or free jazz jams than DJ tools. Over 15 minutes, it travels through dub basslines, wandering keys and classic-sounding deep house pads that swirl between easygoing breakbeats. Moreira's vision reaches beyond the legacy of club music, which makes sense given that he's performed at Slow Life showcases alongside his live band.
It All Comes Back To Patterns is a cohesive listening experience, setting a mood the way albums of any genre often strive to do. It's a nice record to leave on in the house, and Moreira's ability to incorporate non-electronic genres would probably appeal to those who wouldn't identify as dance music heads. The record's jazzy tendencies may suit non-club contexts even better than clubs. The tracks are all pretty, deep and groovy, so they'd fit in a warm-up set or establish a peaceful mood at an afterparty. But most wouldn't suit peak-time slots, as tracks like "Lush E-Motion" could lull a party into a cuddle puddle with fuzzy textures and warm sub-bass. The main exception is "One Last Thought," which gets a driving momentum and dark mood from its low-passed junglist bassline.
Moreira's vision is bigger than crafting super-effective dance floor bombs. It All Comes To Patterns rewards those who would take it on its own terms—simply as music—rather than those who are looking for tools that fit specific criteria.
Tracklist01. From Here To There
02. Algorhythm
03. Controlling Transmission
04. Deal With It
05. Bring Back The Light (Part1)
06. Bring Back The Light (Part2)
07. Bring Back The Light (Part3)
08. Lush E-Motion
09. One Last Thought