As SE62, Yura Khlop isn't the most prolific house music producer; before this year's Secret Garden EP, he hadn't put out anything on wax in several years. But whenever the Kyiv-based artist does decide to come out of the woodwork, house heads should listen up, especially when it comes by way of DJ Haus's Unknown to the Unknown imprint. The Good Days EP, though not SE62's best, shows why.
The title track is a two-chord organ house trip back to the early '90s, a constant source of inspiration for SE62, and sounds vaguely reminiscent of Hardrive's classic "Deep Inside." It would've benefitted from a stronger vocal sample à la Barbara Tucker, but it isn't a miss by any means.
A problem with original '90s house records is the producers got a bit too creative with the arrangements sometimes, a trait also prevalent in the creations of their disco predecessors (and the reason disco edits exist in the first place). It's not an issue with SE62's retro "Just Groove," which manages to be epic, yet lean at the same time. An unexpected bridge keeps things interesting, and some anthemic chords give "Just Groove" serious peak-hour potential, which continues on "Night People," a tribal track backed by a dark, percussive melody.
Hip-hop and house production cover a lot of similar ground — think in terms of sampling style and source material — so it shouldn't come as a shock that the finale fits into the former despite SE62's reputation in house circles. "Whole Train" is a raunchy crossover instrumental with enough dissonant synth work that an MC is not missed. Good Days is a tight addition to an underground house legend's small but impressive discography.
(Unknown to the Unknown)The title track is a two-chord organ house trip back to the early '90s, a constant source of inspiration for SE62, and sounds vaguely reminiscent of Hardrive's classic "Deep Inside." It would've benefitted from a stronger vocal sample à la Barbara Tucker, but it isn't a miss by any means.
A problem with original '90s house records is the producers got a bit too creative with the arrangements sometimes, a trait also prevalent in the creations of their disco predecessors (and the reason disco edits exist in the first place). It's not an issue with SE62's retro "Just Groove," which manages to be epic, yet lean at the same time. An unexpected bridge keeps things interesting, and some anthemic chords give "Just Groove" serious peak-hour potential, which continues on "Night People," a tribal track backed by a dark, percussive melody.
Hip-hop and house production cover a lot of similar ground — think in terms of sampling style and source material — so it shouldn't come as a shock that the finale fits into the former despite SE62's reputation in house circles. "Whole Train" is a raunchy crossover instrumental with enough dissonant synth work that an MC is not missed. Good Days is a tight addition to an underground house legend's small but impressive discography.