Pursuit Grooves

91 Fellows is something of a diversion for Pursuit Grooves (aka Toronto, ON resident Vanese Smith). The mini-album consists of eight fantastic, dub-infused bass tracks, including two remixes, on California-based Deepblak Recordings. Dedicated to the memory of Smith's grandfather (who passed away in 2011), 91 Fellows shows a different, more mood-based and cinematic side of the producer's work. Deep, slow, tribal rhythmic pulses underpin a wash of tasteful samples and reverb-laden, wordless and whispered vocals that act more as textures than narratives. The slow, plodding rhythms and tense moodscapes feel like they could burst any minute, but they don't let up until the remixes, keeping the taut, dramatic tension throughout the six originals. Smith is no newcomer to production, having graduated from the Red Bull Music Academy in 2008, performed at DEMF, been released on Bristol's highly-regarded Tectonic imprint and with production experience that goes back into her teens, but she is definitely a producer to watch out for.