Nick Woolfson's Teng is at its best when it is being quirkily electronic, harkening back to the glory days of nineties deep house from labels such as Toko and Pagan. The highlights of its musical journey so far have all come from the label boss himself, last years Tunnel Vision was so pitch perfect that it happily outshone the guest remixers who attempted to tackle it. As such, it comes as no surprise that the latest release under his AKRA moniker is another cracker.
Before it became needlessly self-indulgent and roots obsessed, the late nineties deep house scene was conscious enough to remember to add a sharp edge to its more thoughtful wares. This is the sort of territory that the Los Peros EP operates in, deep but with an angle that stops a crowd from descending into a catatonic shuffle.
All three tracks are equally strong and, although its title may suggest South American climes regarding its sonic template, the contents of the release are far from being conga led sun-drenched vibes and are thoroughly electronic.
Edging it in terms of quality is the title track itself. Los Peros kicks off with a catchy analogue percussive pattern before dropping in a bouncy electronic bassline groove. Little flourishes of aquatic keyboard keep it from being a pure eyes down moment, but it is undoubtedly the most dancefloor focused of the trio.
Coming in second in the photo finish, Cairns percussive elements wriggle free of the rigidity of the four to the floor beat while the synthy elements flourish in bittersweet melodies. This leaves Walk Don't Walk propping up the rear in a 'last but by no means least' fashion, aptly rounding off the EP with its 'end of mix CD' mood.
This is absolutely Teng's strongest release to date. If the label hasn't quite managed to worm its way into your consciousness yet, then this is a fine place to start.
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