HALAL PREPARED VOL. 2 by VARIOUS ARTIST

Halal Prepared II comes with three espectfully selected cuts, uncontaminated by mass production... Check!Back with a bang, the Halal Prepared series from boe brings three exciting artists whom cover a wide range of the house music spectrum yet the release as a whole manages to focus on the essence of true deep house music. Covering the A-Side and most of the info label is Arnaldo’s playfully named “A Shop That Sells Everything But At Twice The Price”. It’s a fun title for a seriously deep and infectious track that graces the EP with its low slung swaggering rhythm and forceful chords and bass. Loose toms and sweeping hats deviate from the usual and predictable drum machine patterns to create a meandering loop that subliminally gathers pace whilst eerie processed vocal effects are delicately positioned in and out of the mix adding texture and hypnotics. It’s proper late night tackle for those slow grooving and sparsely lit dance floors. The B-side plays host to label owner Ben Boe and surprisingly with his first solo production; Low Rider. Carving out a sound that calls on minimalist tendencies coupled with early Tech House influences, Low Rider is a warm and fuzzy melodic house track that rolls through the first 2 minutes on a chunky 808 kick, bright shakers and grooving sub bass. At the break the chord progression opens out and a twinkling lead pitter-patters in and out of the frequencies over the lush synths. A squelchy Detroit arpeg then leads the track back into the rolling groove and shimmering finale. Anaxander takes a leap from previous productions to deliver an organic but dark tribal record. Opting for little processing on the elements, the groove is up front, close and personal. The rhythms chop and change but never cease to mesmerize and infect the listener. A glassy high frequency pad breaks up the arrangement and rolling congas, toms and djembes take you away to a campfire on a shamanic aural journey.