Lady Blacktronika - It's Blacktronika World

SKYLAX 136 arrives in the form of a killer EP from none other than Lady Blacktronika. Most will know her from her own imprint, Sound Black Recordings, where she has served up some of the best deep house and slo-mo beatdown to come from the US since the label's inception in 2010. Such a stellar output has led many to refer to her as the 'First Lady' of both the genres she frequents, and with this new offering of pure-grade deep house, she shows no sign of letting go of that title. Right Direction' begins with a stuttering piano stab pattern that could mislead people into thinking they are in for a seven minute long throwback to yesteryear. However, before the thought begins to linger, Lady Blacktronika introduces her signature stamp of deepness and soul with chilling pad sounds and vocal slices. The mood is carried forward into 'Deee With It (How Do You Say)', where layers upon layers of percussion give it that extra bite to ride above a bassline that you will be dying to hear on a club system, all whilst sacrificing none of the inherent deep nature of the track. Flipping over to the B side, 'Cheat & Lie' is one of those tracks which can suit any time of the day (or night). The moody vibe it evokes is a product of each element working together harmoniously in the mix; the wide kick drum, swirling chords and soulful vocal cuts show that Lady B knows her way around the studio. The EP closes with 'Fantasize Me', another solid piece which rounds off the release perfectly. Here, Lady B proves that less is more by keeping out any ancillary elements so that the main features of the track can flourish on their own.