- A large majority of dance music relies on the narcissism of small differences. Call what a producer does a disco retread, and they'll let you know that the kick drum was taken from a polka record. When you only have a few genuine innovators around, these are the things that seem important to point out. That's not a bad thing necessarily. Polka drums are more distinctive than you might think. So is the melody that plays throughout "#three," a track from Daniel Stefanik's new EP for Kann, which seems lifted directly from Photek's "The Hidden Camera." Devoid of that context, you might find it to be just another deep house tune. With it, an unlikely connection between deep house and drum & bass is drawn, Photek's house phase is immediately called to mind and—if you loved the original—you'll likely either be excited or disgusted by its use here.
I tend toward excited. But perhaps that has to do with the context of enjoying just about everything else on In Days Of Old Pt.1 too. "#three" turns Photek's crashing avant drum & bass into a melancholic lament that has some bounce in its step. "#two" sees Stefanik bringing his dub techno talents to the table, wrapping an infectious riff in enough cushion to make it go down easy. And "#one" submerges its organ for long enough that, when it surfaces with the requisite "oh yeah" and polite strings, you're already moving too much to wonder exactly where that kick came from originally. I'm sure if you asked Stefanik, he'd be happy to tell you. Because while it may not be all that innovative, In Days Of Old Pt.1 has plenty to offer.
TracklistA1 #one
B1 #two
B2 #three