AMARANTHINE LABYRINTH EP by FUDGE FINGAS

After three releases of darkened house, proto rave and weird techno, Holland’s boutique Purple Maze label takes a detour into funky disco territory with Prime Numbers and Firecracker craftsman Fudge Fingas at the helm. His Amaranthine Labyrinth EP is lively, bright and sugary, but still features plenty of complex analogue machinery to get you dancing.‘Eyes On The Prize’ opens proceedings with some distant bongos, glassy percussion and punchy kick drums. It’s a jostling track with insistent claps running right through it that really comes alive when some sweeping chords bring irresistible colour and funk. Next up, ‘NTNLC’ has excitable vocals “woos!” and busy, hyper speed melodies racing along with classic hi hat ringlets: the whole thing sounds like it’s about to explode like a firework but never quite does, instead bouncing along with plenty of bristling, party starting atmosphere. ‘Kinski’ is more subdued and deep to start, eventually surging off into some twinkling cosmic universe somewhere far away. Chicago snares and 303 basslines intertwine with each other as dollops of melodic colour and ringing, harmonic bells bring the brightness before final track ‘All As It Should Be’ goes super slow, almost beatdown, rocking backwards and forwards on the spot with a breathy voice drifting above wooden sounding percussion, xylophones and plenty of gentle grooves. Fudge Fingas has a unique sonic palette; his sounds are bright and cheery without being overly sweet and, what’s more, you’ll never hear a standard plug-in or over-used sample anywhere in his lush soundscapes. This EP is no different.