Derek Howell – Swift Wings

Label/Cat#: Particles – PSI1414
Source: WEB
Release date: 2014-04-21
Format: mp3
Quality: 320 kbps
Size: 41 mb
Genre: Electronic
Style: Progressive House

With a 24-carat gold provenance, Derek Howell has been at the vanguard of the underground house movement for a decade; now celebrating a return to Particles with his epic “Swift Wings” EP. A Texan brought up on Led Zeppelin and The Who, a mastery of the guitar imprinted a musical blueprint that would provide the foundations on which Howell’s intricate and in-depth knowledge of dance music would be built, as the scene swept across south-western America, inspired by the epoch-defining sounds of Sasha, Seaman and Digweed. Indeed, it was on the latter’s Bedrock imprint that a first foray in to the world of production garnered immediate success as an eponymously titled EP illustrated Howell’s unique and original talents. An unrivalled ear for rhythm, melody and arrangement has seen his work featured across the globe on some of the industry’s finest labels including, Global Underground, Hope and Chris Fortier’s Fade. 2009’s full-length “Evening Stroll” album for Polytechnic followed as have appearances on Nick Warren’s GU028: Shanghai, Desyn Masiello’s Balance 08 and two Hernan Cattaneo Renaissance compilations (Masters Series and Sequential). Supported by the entire underground DJ community, in both his solo guise and collaboratively with Peter Martin and Joshua Michael under his Pinkbox Special moniker, Derek Howell’s name has been writ large across the modern industry time and time again. A special relationship with Proton Music that was formed in 2005 with “Western High”, has gone on to see a half-century of production credits including such memorable highlights as “Adam West”, “Puzzle Box” and the “Laughing While Running” EPs. Now, reprising appearances on Particles that recently include a stellar remix of Andrew Benson’s “I Will Be”, Derek Howell returns with the brand new twin-track, “Swift Wings” EP. “Fuelled” by his “musical roots but driven by the future”, Howell’s philosophy is keenly felt on both nine-minute pieces. “When the House Sleeps” is a forward-thinking collage of complex melodic motifs that bounce and ricochet inside a groove box that exudes rhythmic passion. As the track evolves, an infinite array of sounds fire across the frequency spectrum, colliding and subsiding before a searing lead line emerges in the final movement with rousing crescendo. Title track, “On Swift Wings”, continues with the hallmark Howell themes found in its predecessor, as a simple metronomic beat belies the intricate complexity that follows. Smooth, reverb-coated stabs beat out accompanying rhythm before an unexpected chord progression provides a sense of tension. A sumptuous bass groove supplies an anchor, and counterpoint melodies trickle across the primary themes, redolent in their warm distortion and analogue gloss. Derek Howell has ensured that two new works of peerless progressive glory will see him rise once more on “Swift Wings”. Directed by Jay Epoch, AandR by Marina Gerardi, Mastered by Derek Howell, Design by Ben Mautner, Text by James Warren

Tracklist
1. When the House Sleeps (Original Mix)9:18
2. On Swift Wings (Original Mix)9:24