byron the aquarius: akira ep
A true production wizard, always delivering the best brand of electronic funk, Byron The Aquarius is probably one of the most relevant names in the deep house scene and one of those that we’ll never get enough of. Dropping today, Akira EP is his high-karat gold collaboration with the infamous Heist Recordings, following a solid string of releases on labels like Axis Records, Shall Not Fade and Purveyor Underground. Sonically, Byron takes us from dark basement grooves to dreamy broken beats, featuring a remix by New York dance music wizard Kush Jones.
Byron’s unusual take on electronic music flourishes in this new project. Akira EP kicks off with “I Love Yo” and his deep and moody club workouts, juxtaposing dreamy samples with rough percussion and vocal chops with a clear nod to the work of Mr. G. “Get Up” is a straight-forward house banger that has smart vocal chops, driving percussion, classic house keys and a booming sub to get you bumping.
The B-side sees Byron up the tempo and take a deep dive into bass territory with “Love”. Lush pads running over a percussive broken beat and chopped r&b vocals to add some serious sex appeal. Our favorite of the bunch, “Success” is a spoken word track that fits right in with the classics that he has been releasing over the years. The EP finishes with a dreamy remix by New Yorker Kush Jones, manipulating soft chords that spread out on an electronic groove with a pure and improvised feel.
Available on vinyl courtesy of Heist Recordings, Akira EP is once more a brilliant and creative work from one of the best in the game. Aquarius season.