Not often does a DJ get enough demand from a track in his set to then release the record. This has happened twice now in quick succession for Harry Agius AKA Midland, first with Hubie Davison’s ‘Sanctified’, which he played at Dekmantel, and now with his own, equally groovy, house hit ‘Blush’. Garnering momentum since first being unleashed at Boiler Room Milan last summer this A-Side is finally becoming available to the public at the end of the month. The track has all the usual tricks you would expect from a Midland production; swoon like synths, plenty of drums but all importantly it’s that chorus line… That chorus line! Simple melody, superb sound and a catchy beat that will send the dance floor into ‘smiler’ mode. The people have spoken and have raised a voice loud enough to be heard and quite rightly so, this track is fire.
On the flip side ‘Outpost’ and ‘Hold Up’ earn their place in the EP but just don’t quite compare, however useful tracks to have in the bag. ‘Outpost’ gains gradual momentum, slowly rolling along before taking a turn into slightly obscurer territory whilst ‘Hold Up’, though it retains merit for its complex and well coordinated percussions, is some way off being totally convincing. That said the production on all three tracks is constant; Midland has directed his sound further leftfield which will attract a new dynamic. Slightly moodier, slightly weirder, it reminds me of what Mosca has done recently with his productions; taken his garage roots and modernised it into his own dark and morose sound. Only here, Midland’s drum and bass foundations shine through. The power to be able to create something catchy is still worth its weight in gold and it is something Midland has utilised superbly on this EP like he did with ‘Trace’ back in 2013. The only difference being that the high level of production we’re so used to has extended even more with increased subtlety and hence, more intrigue.
3.9/5
Available 29th April
Pre-Order
Words by Ben S