David Glass – Lost EP

Score: 8/10Label: Circus RecordingsThe six letters that mark out Circus stands a lot taller in house music circles than they do on a page. It’s become a heavyweight signifier of quality on account of the near eleven year old clubnight which has become one of the biggest draws in Europe from its Liverpool home, now holding residencies in London and New York. It also doubles up as a record label, after a prolonged period of activity now entering something of a fallow period with its release schedule. This four track groover from young starlet David Glass continues that rich vein of form.

Yet to turn 23, Glass is a talent born on the Circus dancefloor in Liverpool and it’s clear to see where each of these records fits into the figurative space of Circus in the Masque. ‘Lost’ has an ethereal vibe about it that conducts perfectly as the carnival-esque madness of the Theatre with its precise drum-fills, whilst ‘Like a Pro’ resonates with a glorious rolling groove and barely legible vocal which instantly transports you to Circus mainstay Yousef holding court in the same environ. Full-blooded house music of the highest order.

‘Gimme some More’ doffs it’s cap a wee more to the underground, snarling down a techier route which is probably more at ease with the darker vibe that usually comes from the madness ensued in the Loft, but the real gem comes in the shape of ‘Tell the people’.  Whets starts as a pretty innocuous yet solid drum track explodes on the two minute mark by brilliantly filtering the classic strains of Large Professor’s production into the breakdown, utilising the hip-hop master’s legendary work on Nas’ classic ‘It ain’t hard to tell’.

Throw in some scratches, wisely used vocals and the presence of that oh so smart drum work underneath and you’ve got a record that appeases the true heads, bang on trend in terms of reference point for sample but utilising one so timeless it’s hard to see this sounding tired or played out. That use of sample pretty much sums up the EP as a whole, elevating a solid release to the upper echelons of quality and marking the label, and its fledgling starlet, as a port of call any serious acolyte of house music needs to keep an eye on in 2013.