Waze & Odyssey Be Right There EP
UK duo Waze & Odyssey has made a name for itself in the past year, […]
UK duo Waze & Odyssey has made a name for itself in the past year, largely by repurposing fragments of the classic ’90s house sound for modern dancefloors. The pair’s first outing of 2013 continues further down this path with two songs that unabashedly indulge—maybe a bit too far—in the outfit’s affection for deep, disco-flecked house.
Both “Be Right There” and “Found the Rhythm,” the two Waze & Odyssey originals on this EP, are solid tunes. Each song pairs dense, slightly upswung grooves with soulful samples and the requisite chopped vocal lines, making them likely to go over just fine on the dancefloor—especially the more upbeat and slightly funkier title track. Still, one can’t help but feel like both songs just fit the mold a little too snugly; while their utility is undeniable, it feels like there are an almost limitless amount of substitutes for “Be Right There” and “Found the Rhythm” already in existence. Well-crafted pieces of nostalgia-inspired house music certainly haven’t been scarce as of late, and Waze & Odyssey’s efforts here lack the distinctive touch to make them stand out from the crowd.
Fortunately, London’s Citizen breaks the EP’s streak of ubiquity and delivers a charecteristically deep and juicy remix of “Be Right There,” closing out the affair while essentially demonstrating what the original could have looked like with an extra dose of production personality. In the end, the simple things make the difference—there’s a slight stutter to the kicks, some interesting filtering on the pads, a more understated take on the vocal chops, and a more alluring sense of atmosphere, all of which make Citizen’s version not only better suited to move our feet in the moment, but to also keep us coming back for more.