Following from their superb 'Ensaneia EP', Choc Electrique's latest EP is being launched just in time to hit the crest of the resurgent interest in percussive house.
Utilising unreleased studio tapes of the late Pascal Benadjaoud (Bongo Massive), Choc Electrique's Phillippe Lissan brings in the bass skills of Marcus Woxneryd, guitarist Vlad J and drummer Neil Conti to create live sounding house music.
Production is over seen by Marco Funari and the result combines musical subtlety with pumping dance music.
At times they strip the sounds down to the percussive core, at others layering lush guitar arrangements and Colette Meury's vocals over the beats. The opening track is a funky work out while track two builds into the groove to and emerges as a stomping Latin house smooch of a track.
For the full on conga work out flip to the b-side where the percussion works its way into a sparse on the one b-line and hints from the vocal line – allowing enough space for the rhythm to come into its own.
Deeply not-radio friendly and awesomely simple, this really has to be heard over a club soundsystem to all allow the bass and beats to shine. But, given time, it will have its place in the sun.
by Ben Osborne