This compilation, the follow-up to Leftroom's 2007 mix Don't Be Left Out, features Visionquest pal Ryan Crosson and label boss Matt Tolfrey teaming up to offer up a sleek after-hours excursion into deep, dubby tech-house. Leaning heavy on exclusive selections from artists like H-Foundation, Pezzner and the duo's own tracks and remixes, Tolfrey and Crosson carefully navigate between low-slung tech-house and stripped-down hypnotic grooves.
Cuts like Gavin Herlihy's "Was I Supposed To?," with its tripped-out vocals, rippling synths and understated drums, provide a counterbalance to more utilitarian late-night dance floor tracks like Luke Solomon's "Psycho Babble." Melodic and focused in all the right places, the duo obviously have spent enough time in the DJ booth to craft a mix that works as an extension of their live sets, but is also refined and nuanced enough for repeated home listens. Don't Be Left Out might not take many big risks, but the patient and balanced approach taken by Tolfrey and Crosson pays off in the long haul.
(Leftroom Records)Cuts like Gavin Herlihy's "Was I Supposed To?," with its tripped-out vocals, rippling synths and understated drums, provide a counterbalance to more utilitarian late-night dance floor tracks like Luke Solomon's "Psycho Babble." Melodic and focused in all the right places, the duo obviously have spent enough time in the DJ booth to craft a mix that works as an extension of their live sets, but is also refined and nuanced enough for repeated home listens. Don't Be Left Out might not take many big risks, but the patient and balanced approach taken by Tolfrey and Crosson pays off in the long haul.