Suol label heads Chi-Thien Nguyen and John Muder aka Chopstick & Johnjon recently pocketed a gold record for their work as co-authors of Fritz Kalkbrenner’s single “Back Home”. But instead of spending their days celebrating on private yachts and sipping the bubbly, C&J have been busy in the studio churning out tracks for their new EP.
And here it is. Throwing off the shackles of the radio format, the duo offer up four new long-form cuts for the clubs with “Versions 2”. That is not to say the tracks are without pop appeal – they are intensely catchy and every bit as musical as C&J’s previous output – but their approach is different from the emotional song structures, which were the hallmark of their debut album “Twelve”.
“Keep It Real Son” might be the motto of this EP. Organ stabs, deep subs, whipping hi-hats, a funky Moog bassline and an instantly recognizable lead synth. This is House Music, baby.
More cowbell you say? “I Need Your Love” has got what you want. The funkiest of percussion lines skips along to a rolling bass. Friendly chord stabs contrast a heavy groove. And the vocal gives a nod to early Nineties rave anthems.
“Strings For Fools” is a journey full of bouncy percussions from around the world. Triumphant strings send you flying while the track surges