Available on: left_blank 12″

We all know by now that Bristol’s presence on the musical map far outstrips its physical size, and despite being based in London, new label left_blank has turned to the West Country’s Vessel, a member of the Young Echo collective alongside recent Punch Drunk signing Khan, for a promising, varied debut release.

‘Ton’ takes the sprightly off-beat kick drums you’d associate with Hessle Audio favourites Joe or Blawan and sprinkles them with elasticated synths and breathless vocals, creating a piston-efficient rhythm that steadily builds before exploding in a shower of percussion. Meanwhile ‘Blushes’ is a moodier and more self-conscious affair, opening with plodding woodblocks and ponderous atmospherics before tripping into a skewed house drum riff that contrasts nicely with the track’s buoyant bassline and metallic lead melody.

The highlight of the EP inevitably comes from Peverelist’s remix, which inverts the bright-eyed optimism of ‘Nylon Sunset’ into a deliciously unsettling glance back at the murkier side of garage, a tumbling 2-step rhythm providing that driving momentum that’s a constant of so much of Peverelist’s recent work. The Vessel originals are only marginally overshadowed though – in fact, they could fit comfortably on Pev’s own label. What bigger compliment can you pay than that?

James Waldron

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