dj deep: fosph

DJ Deep returns to Tresor with his new Fosph EP, his first release on the label since 2015. In the time between then and now, the deeply rooted boss has been particularly active, from b2b DJ sets with Jeff Mills, his work as part of the duo Sergie Rezza, to his newly released jazz-house remixes of Cotonete. Listening to his mixes, which regularly spin from essential Chicago and Detroit house sounds, through blends of Afro-percussion and dub reveals an ear sensitively tuned to the ground searching stories through music. Fosph proves an EP of real mastery that exudes techno, its drive, phasing patterns and melodic minimalism. "Swamps" opens the record with a jungle cacophony, its rhythms dipping and diving on a ritualistic sequence -- judiciously lean, biting and expressive. "Tommy" is an exercise in solo TR-909, the less-is-more machine repetitions that journey unceasingly -- sure to be a crucial drum tool. "Utrecht" hints at an expansive '90s ambient sound, imbuing analog static with synthetic cries and meanderings. "Escape" takes these sonic outposts, and goes even further. Its resonant drums propelling into action a pendulum of organic expressionism, rising into flight from its dusty origins. EP closer "Demonstration" is a clear example of DJ Deep's love for machine funk. An old-school banger doing just enough, its playful off-beat excursions and effective one-word sample recall a certain Midwestern directness.