Velvit The Nudge
We’ve been hearing a lot about Darren White lately. The UK producer has been pumping […]
We’ve been hearing a lot about Darren White lately. The UK producer has been pumping out quality drum & bass tunes for the better part of the last two decades as dBridge, and released both his latest effort, the two-track Move Way EP, and a stellar XLR8R podcast under that moniker just a few weeks ago. The Exit Records head isn’t resting on his laurels though; August is also playing host to yet another Darren White record: The Nudge, an offering from his house-leaning side project, Velvit.
The Nudge finds White dabbling in a different genre, but his take on house utilizes a sound palette that’s essentially in line with his drum & bass output. Even at 130 bpm, his predilection for dark textures and atmospheres as well as chunky, hard-hitting, and meticulously arranged percussion manages to seep through. The meaty thump of the title track’s kick drum and the crisp, resounding strikes of its snare are a perfect examples, as they coalesce into something that sounds less like a dancefloor banger and more like a military march. Other familiar elements come into play, too, such as the buzzing synths and low-end squelches that surface in the song’s latter half. White also incorporates humbler, more stock house elements into the mix, such as the song’s melody—which has been fashioned using a simple delayed chord—along with chopped-up vocals and phased-out synths that seem to emerge from the ether. The second track on the EP, “The Act,” meditates on these house influences a little further and comes out steadier and more static than its predecessor; it’s also a bit better suited for the dancefloor. Its opening snare takes the form of a metallic clang, while its bassline, a murky, rumbling affair, churns beneath. The song also flaunts its influences—Detroit techno figures prominently here—outwardly, punctuating some of its beats with panting vocal samples and quick one-two chord stabs.