Artist: Mercury
Release: Candlelight (EP)
Release Date: 20/02/12
Mercury are due to release their new EP, ‘Candlelight’ on 20th February via German label Gomma. Their past singles have been favourites of DJs such as Brodinski, Round Table Nights and Pedro Winter, so it’s obvious why fans old and new have been clamouring for ‘Candlelight’s‘ release.
The Swiss duo’s brand of house music has been developing since their formation in the late 2000s. Drawing on their hip hop (Mel), garage and 2-step (Simon) influences, alongside an appreciation of where house, and vocal house in particular, came from and can go to, Mercury offer something more than the industry standard.
They themselves label their music as ‘neo classical’. This can be translated to mean, most importantly, soulful. It also means drum- and percussion-centred, with a nod to the legends of the game. Legends like Robert Owens, who appears on the EP.
As well as their own music, Mercury are no strangers to the remix arena. Indeed, their breakthrough release was their remix of Le Le’s ‘Breakfast’ in 2009. They have gone on to work with Tom Trago and Homework, amongst others, bringing their take on the music to a wider audience.
The three tracks on ‘Candlelight’ all show individual strengths and are interesting in their own rights, whilst hanging together as a strong and funky collective.
Opener ‘Candlelight’ begins with a definitively ‘80s influenced intro (think Bronksi Beat meets Sound Factory), before Robert Owen’s double-tracked vocals begin. Owens always brings his best to all the music he touches, but this performance is somewhat restrained (taken in comparison to, say, ‘I’ll Be Your Friend’), and he sings in a lower register than elsewhere. The accompaniment is simple but possesses a kind of stripped-down beauty, with a rumbling bassline underpinning all.
The second track is the piano-led ”, featuring long-time Kerri Chandler confidant Christopher McCray. The track is another vocal effort, which has more of a stamp of ‘anthem’ than its predecessor. A quick builder, ‘Running…’ soon launches into its chorus, with bouncing synths surrounding an electronic drum line. It seems as though Mercury are attempting to capture a ‘retro-futuristic’ vision, and succeed in the most part. The track does feel a little see-through whilst listening at home, but definitely feels as though in would work in the (right) club.
The release closes with ‘NY Feeling’. Different again, this track warms things up with live-feeling bass over a filtered vocal snatch, before stretching things out nicely with chopped beats. It has some almost Latin-esque tinges, and builds well into a dancefloor smasher.
The one thing which unites the tracks on ‘Candlelight’ is an unquestionable quality. The three tracks are different enough to show that Mercury are not restricted to any one sound, but hold together well. There is a lot of house music around these days, but not all have as much thought, passion and commitment as this EP demonstrates. Three really nice tracks which offer variety and consistency throughout.
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