Having chosen not to delve into the world of socially distanced events until later this month the Half Baked crew instead look to their vinyl-only imprint to do the talking. Returning to the fold is Pressure Traxx co-founder Arno who will be turning out for HB for his first solo release. Taking control of the 3-tracker ‘No Car Big Garage’ EP Arno combines a great many influences that make up the Half Baked ethos and the result is 3 original cuts made for the floor.
Flipping over to B1 ‘He Displays Nothing But…..’ finds Arno in wonky house mode where he utilises synth wiggles and a deeply plumbed bassline to jack the vibe from the beginning. The main part of this track is Arno’s masterful use of a nonsensical female vocal that is chopped, warped, and otherwise processed in all manner of ways in order to build the groove and accompany the musical elements present. This use of a simple vocal is a skill in itself and points to a painstakingly creative process in order to get just the right dynamics of FX and original vocal. This track points to a much-loved sound of Half Baked that resident Robin Ordell cultivated with his own releases and DJ sets that take on a whole new meaning when dropped at silly o’clock in the morning or during an elongated after-hour session.
Elsewhere on the release A1 cut ‘Why Does The Lion Get Lost In The Jungle’ points to another staple of Half Baked and that is the bass-heavy garage tinged vibes that London is famous for. The lush soundscapes and sound effects are punctuated emphatically by massive room snare hits and deepest of deep bass tones. A2 and title track ‘No Car, Big Garage’ also leans in this direction with more of a breakbeat house groove. The feel-good classic house bass stabs are enough to lift any dancefloor but there is little doubt that any Half Baked party will be flagging enough to heavily rely on being rescued by tracks like this. Luckily it has only been since the previous release that Arno last appeared on Half Baked and we are sure after an EP such as this it won’t be long until the next encounter.
You will be able to buy Arno’s ‘No Car Big Garage’ EP from Monday, October 26th via Juno.
More info on Arno
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More info on Half Baked
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