- Yay Recordings' fifth release comes from Audri, an artist with little background information—at least under this alias. Coming From Reality's four tracks have a hot but rounded tone: hot, in that the hats sizzle like they're fresh from a deep fryer, and round for the low-end's subconscious throb. The sound palette is classicist, with liberal dashes of 303 and 808, which are coated in a charming balm reminiscent of hardware tracked through a mixer. The patterns are dead straight and propulsive in a manner recalling the tightly wound rhythms of electro and techno. But the moody pads and atmospheres have a tranquil lightness akin to strains of deep house. These tracks barrel forward in the dance but they're not audacious, which helps give the EP an understated edge.
Somehow "Droid" simultaneously stomps and floats. It glides along serenely without being emotionally overbearing, while its flow is nicely punctuated by short acid lines and chords that glimmer like daybreak. These short interjections work wonders on the energy level, sounding like a DJ cutting in snippets of another track. "Smashin" is an anomaly here. Its heavy, broken-beat kick drum hits hard but, with the careful percussion accompaniment, it feels somewhat lacking in momentum. "Indeed" has an aquatic feel, thanks to its clip-clopping filter percussion, spatial treatments and heavily low-passed pad. There's a bassline that lends proceedings a subtly poignant bent, which is rarely but effectively offset by a short, cheeky melodic line. "Ain't No Shit" proves a highlight. Its laser-sharp lines dovetail in the midrange beneath spitting 808 hats and snatches of vocal sample, closing an unassuming but satisfying EP.
TracklistA1 Droid
A2 Smashin
B1 Indeed
B2 Ain't No Shit