Jacksonville: Saturn 5
Doppler Records

Underground house label Doppler Records is hardly the most prolific label in operation— Jacksonville's Saturn 5 is only its fourth release since its 2008 startup—but the material it issues has been consistently satisfying and its latest EP is no exception. The Leeds, UK-based producer's latest outing follows up his 2009 Trix and early 2010 Valparaiso releases with another strong two-tracker of deep house goodness. “Saturn 5” slinks into view with a mid-tempo stomp and slippery percussion accents before digging deeper with the addition of a throbbing bass pulse and electric piano chords. A gravelly voice-over muses upon plunging “deep—deep, deep down” as the groove flirts ever closer with space-disco and the bass grows ever funkier. Though it strays little from its party jam vibe, on sonic grounds the tune's nevertheless a ravishing listen. That party vibe carries over into “Don't You” when crowd noise blankets its opening seconds but soon enough it recedes, leaving a deeply slamming house groove to take over. The title then surfaces as an emphatic declamation that loops hypnotically over the tune's increasingly stoked rhythms and sizzling hi-hats for eight charging minutes, with the vocal at times altered to a stutter in tandem with the groove's fury. One can't help but wonder whether Jacksonville will simply continue issuing an EP every six months or whether they'll all eventually be collected on a full-length.

October 2010