PAPD37

Havana Candy – The Black Keys EP

1. All Night
2. Tera
3. Last Train
4. Tera (Flash Atkins Mix)

Havana Candy is Joe Lucas who lives in Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire and is part of a growing collective of artists that includes Flash Atkins and Jamie L.

He has had releases under various guises over the years on labels that include 20:20 Vision and Fat City and more recently on his own Havana Candy Records; next up is Tusk Wax Records. His sound is deep and hypnotic with an analogue sensibility that mixes up balearic, disco and house as the three original tracks here demonstrate.

All Night builds round an elastic bass and skipping drums before bringing in the Havana Candy trademark filtered synths. It stays deep and swinging, working the groove with drops and fills that provide an ever changing dynamic.

Next up, Tera is on the one and builds a groove around analogue riffs, distorted guitars and stabs perfect for those early hours dance floors.

Last Train is deep balearica with vintage synths leading the way. It’s slow, melancholy and electronic, showing off Havana Candy’s skill at making timeless dance music that mixes up different influences to create something original.

Finally, Flash Atkins steps up to remix Tera with some old school acid. Using a 909 kit and 808 line, it builds to a break when the Rhodes is introduced. It’s a dance floor bubbler that will keep heads nodding and feet moving.

EARLY REACTIONS

James Holroyd – Nice carp. Last train is superb.

Billy Scurry – Wow, this grabbed me from the off, lovin that groove on All Night. Very infectious, top support

Dicky Trisco – All Night is the one for me. Wicked night time boogie sounds.

Scope – both mixes of Tera are hot!

Severino Panzetta – Flash Atkins in BIG form at the mo
VERY GOOD