The hype surrounding young Montreal producer Jacques Greene has subtly settled since the release of last summer's "On Your Side," featuring How To Dress Well, though it would be far from surprising to see it spike once more with the release of his latest EP, Phantom Vibrate. The three-track EP may be short, but it's certainly not compact, as opening track and single "No Excuse" readily demonstrates — a soft opening quickly explodes in breadth and depth when thick taiko (Japanese percussion) drops in and dominates the beat like reverberating footfalls.
As with the opener, second track "Feel What" employs what Greene seems to do best, weaving sampled vocal snippets through house-inspired, R&B-backed beats. The gospel-esque vocals give the track an ethereal feel as they move blithely across a base of nebulous, round synths and crisp, ricocheting percussion. And though closing track "Night Tracking" may seem lacking in comparison, it's a subtle nod to Greene's refined club nights in Montreal, and a nice instrumental, dance floor round-off to the EP.
(Lucky Me)As with the opener, second track "Feel What" employs what Greene seems to do best, weaving sampled vocal snippets through house-inspired, R&B-backed beats. The gospel-esque vocals give the track an ethereal feel as they move blithely across a base of nebulous, round synths and crisp, ricocheting percussion. And though closing track "Night Tracking" may seem lacking in comparison, it's a subtle nod to Greene's refined club nights in Montreal, and a nice instrumental, dance floor round-off to the EP.
