Francis Harris and Anthony Collins are the keepers of a half-remembered tradition. Their work revolves around the deep house sound of New York in the 1990s. Buttery smooth grooves and dubby chords, tracks without peaks and diva vocals, in short: music that even DJ Sprinkles approves of. But the duo always filtered this approach through a nostalgic lens and rounded off with analogue patina. Their sound thus more or less accidentally fit in with the lo-fi house heyday of the early 2010s, but seemed to lose its relevance gradually, despite its consistent quality over the years. In that sense, it was a wise decision to take a long break for half a decade and let some grass grow over things after a good dozen EPs and one album in just as many years. Harris has since released two solo ambient albums, Collins followed up with a lot more swirling deep house tunes under the pseudonym Grant, and everyone lived happily ever after. But now there’s »Dream Vibration«, an unexpected but understated release – three tracks, flanked by two remixes by house legend Timmy Regisford. The music sounds just as casual as it had been announced, that is exactly like Frank & Tony always used to do. The title track works with breaks and brass, on »Stretch Out Like the World« Eliana Glass sings a few isolated notes and »Time Out of Mind« bathes in dub. Regisford’s percussive rework of the Glass track, in which she is allowed finally to step into the spotlight, is accompanied by an instrumental version of the same remix. This both sounds nostalgic and makes you long for half-remembered times. This music has been missed in those past few years, although and precisely because no one would have really noticed how much exactly.
Om Unit
Acid Dub Studies III
Om Unit