Bamboo Room 12”

Emotional Especial returns in 2018 after a supremely quiet 2017 as batteries were recharged and life happened. In mind is the introduction of new duo, Weird Weather and their debut EP, Bamboo Room. Slotting perfectly in the label family with 4 cuts covering dark basement club music through to calmer, balmier moments.

LJ Horstman and D Thornley, conjoined metal nerds from opposite ends of the London suburbs who bonded over love of dub mixes, create Weird Weather. This debut collects tracks from four years of jamming, constructing, dubbing and re-dubbing. Cheap synths played with strict finger musicianship; deep bass over 4/4, clattering Roland drum boxes and analogue pads and submerged vocals calling out over the noise of the digital Coffee Maker.

Full spectrum of influences are apparent for the heads with nods to Yello, Jah Shaka and the Horn “Megamixes” of Frankie Goes To Hollywood and ZTT alumini – all go in the dub blender with a slug of 80s rock bombast. 4 demos passed down and the mixing desk skills of homeboys Mr TJ Fairplay and Mr J Paton are added for good measure.

To start, Sequence 5 is a one-take body-music desk dub. The relentless riding rhythms and faint harmonics pull you to the floor in unknown fashion. Trash Dolphin follows as an aquatic New-Wave meets NY-house in-joke that went too far. Sample bits out the window to reach nirvana.

Taking the flip is Bamboo Room. A sub 90 bpm, euphoric mind-melter for the post Ambient House generation. The true winner with tranquil(ity) bass and psychedelic (research) lab trip shifts. Seamlessly completed with the poolside ‘Ormus Mix’ for the suave recliners. Thanks to Eric Dan for phantom support via the LCD screen. Onwards and upwards.