Apart from the accordion, bagpipes and vuvuzela, there are few instruments whose sound is as polarising as the saxophone and flute. Some people rank them among the most annoying instruments in the world, others can’t do without them. Earth Trax and Newborn Jr. belong to the second group – two Polish producers of electronic music who have dedicated their new 12inch »Sax & Flute« to their favourite presets. The synthetic wind instruments are embedded in a gently flowing, hypnotic structure between deep house, »proggy cheesiness« and breakbeat techno. This somehow also fits in well with the label Rhythm Section International that is known for sometimes jazzy, sometimes hip-hop-heavy house. What is striking in comparison to other releases: while Al Dobson Jr. and Contours, for example, get to the point too quickly, »Sax & Flute« takes an almost infinite amount of time. »Sax Track« starts rousing, but then rapidly loses momentum and runs into a shallow soup with an endless saxophone solo breakdown. »Flute Track« begins even more promisingly and is a completely absorbing track for over five minutes that does credit to the E-mu flute sample from »Sledgehammer«. At some point, however, this track also simply wafts ethereally along and sprinkles the subconscious. Kind of disappointing, but with loungey, lengthy deep house that »builds up«, it’s just like with the flute and the saxophone: it’s all a matter of taste.
Om Unit
Acid Dub Studies III
Om Unit