Black Label 31 - TJ Kong and Nuno Dos Santos

Black Label 31

TJ Kong and Nuno Dos Santos [Compos...

#02 in this month's The 20

• Section: Music Reviews Topics: The 20
• Written by: lizwarner

The team of TJ Kong and Nuno dos Santos has released only a smattering of material together thus far, but the impression has been huge.

There’s something defying about their savvy blend of production skills that fall somewhere on the edge of completely modern yet retro.

The first cut of the release, ‘Tranentrekker’, only borrows from the past to create its forward-thinking approach.

Deep house chords ground the cut while the upper region gets a bit spacey.

The Ben Mono Remix updates the cut with a snappier edge.

It’s when ‘Dropout’ kicks in that retro has taken near full effect.

Reminiscent of something that could have been produced by Was (Not Was) in the 1980s, or any number of No Wave artists, vocals become a focal point amongst this house-heavy production.

Retro, in this case, is not a bad word; it’s used as respectfully as the producers give light to their influences, and it’s used wisely. 

• (0) Comments
• (253) Views
• Get 'Black Label 31' on Beatport