Three top-quality cuts from Croatian producer Josip Mandic, AKA Chip Mandich

Italian label Na Zrak say they specialise in "minimal deep tech", so I guess I should really describe this as, er, that. But it sounds a lot like good old-fashioned deep, dubby house to these ears…

Three tracks make up the EP. Ljubav, up first, consists primarily of warm, uncluttered 4/4s, a hefty dubwise bassline and two different synth sounds that play over the top: a warping pad that's pretty much omnipresent, and aquatic sounds that come and go. Chuck in a few percussion frills here, the occasional pause there, and what you have are seven minutes of late-night genius. Miss Green itself, which follows, has a similar MO but with a slightly funkier rhythm, a proggy feel to the synths and some occasional barely-there vocal snips. And then finally there's Reality Check, the most overtly house-y of the trio with its lolloping drums, slowed-down disco bassline and assorted vocal fragments.

If you like it seriously deep 'n' dubby, this EP will cater for your needs nicely – and then some.

Words: Russell Deeks

Release date: 21 January
 

Review Score: 8

Tags: Chip Mandich, Na Zrak Records, deep tech, minimal, deep house