Complementing the already varied collection of releases from South London's young Rhythm Section label is a new EP from Chaos in the CBD that more deeply explores the jazz club sounds from some of their earlier releases. Midnight in Peckham offers an introspective set of slick, low-key and percussive-rooted tracks. Evoking the calming sounds of the late hours of the evening, the pulsing of crisp hi-hats on tracks like "Trust is Key" and "Luxury Motivation" juxtapose the delicate piano notes throughout the release, helping to create a sense of gentle, subdued energy.
The title track, "Midnight in Peckham," is the centrepiece here, a seven-minute, mid-tempo tune with a very smooth, atmospheric feeling. The crowning moment of this piece is a distant saxophone belted out over the drumbeat, leaving listeners with an intimate connection to the anonymous player. Every howl accents the simmering bustle.
For all its refreshing elegance, there is an ever-so-slight sense that the record loses itself a bit in the aura of the jazz clubs it attempts to recreate, prioritizing atmosphere and genre over experimentation. This, however, acts as a small cloud over an otherwise starlit Peckham night.
(Rhythm Section International)The title track, "Midnight in Peckham," is the centrepiece here, a seven-minute, mid-tempo tune with a very smooth, atmospheric feeling. The crowning moment of this piece is a distant saxophone belted out over the drumbeat, leaving listeners with an intimate connection to the anonymous player. Every howl accents the simmering bustle.
For all its refreshing elegance, there is an ever-so-slight sense that the record loses itself a bit in the aura of the jazz clubs it attempts to recreate, prioritizing atmosphere and genre over experimentation. This, however, acts as a small cloud over an otherwise starlit Peckham night.
