Joss – Mountain Castle

Label: ArtreformScore: 8/10 

As 2013 came to an end, upcoming Ukrainian label Artreform got our attention thanks to the splendorous sounds of the Welcome EP, a sumptuously served up slice of authentic house music from Joss, A Harris and D Lamar. If immediate impressions are anything to go by, the label looks set to continue where it left off in 2014, with label head Joss again serving up more of the same on the Mountain Castle EP, a two-tracker that comes complete with a remix by the always dependable Benno Blome.

On the original, Joss showcases his own unique tackling of the deep house genre, as twinkle-toed melodies and polished grooves play off against a backdrop of piano-led sophistication. The drums make their presence felt too, as do the muffled vocals and an elongated bassline that gathers momentum the longer it goes on. Indeed, the track also pays homage to Detroit, both in his its set up and the manner of its vocal.

The aforementioned Benno Blome then turns in a remix that, though subtle in most parts, still makes use of more whimsical and captivating strands. Cleverly, much of the synths remain almost entirely intact, with the German again proving his nous as a producer of repute. Assured sounding stuff from Artreform.