Sharing a passion for soft porn, the owners of Saints & Sonnets decided to give a shallow stab towards releasing “half decent house music” and the results were far beyond their expectation. The label to this date counts a number of 12 releases and it features names like Roman Flugel, Detroit Swindle, Shenoda or Huxley. It seems that brushing off the dust of old vinyl and today’s chaos in electronic music offered Saints & Sonnets the authority it deserves especially with their 13th release from Artifact.
The fact of the matter is that Bristol is foremost peaking when it’s about astonishing self-taught underground talent in matter of originality, and the artist behind Saints & Sonnets 13th release, Artifact, proves us just right. Bristol born, Artifact, first got acclaimed back in 2012 when his EP on Local Action seemed to be limitless, with its rocky house texture and dubstep assortment. Foremost, the tracks that set Artifact apart, Freezedry, was given away for free as courtesy for Local Action’s newest signing. Influenced by old deep house, ruff techno and the touch of living in a dubstep environment left a distinctive mark on the artist as bigger label such as Purp & Soul, Rebirth or MadTech took an interest into his sound.
How Did You Change EP features two originals and a remix from the boss himself, Huxley. It’s Artifact’s first official solo EP in 18 months.
How Did You Change see’s Artifact as an artist that grew over these past couple of years. Downward string notes are meant to maintain the venomous cycle as the lyrics bitter Gates’s message. It confuses the anticipated turnout with the groove of the track propagating with each spoken lyric. Soothing on the dance floor, the track conveys mixed moods for each individual.
Even is floating on the same line as Artifact’s sound back in 2012 and it brings remembrance to the sound we were accustomed with. The vocal brings memories of the early soulful house, but the track develops a series of mixed signals. Pinpointing an exact mood, is more of a science as airy strings come and go and wrap onto the house beat.
Huxley’s remix of Even takes a modern approach to house. Its roll enters countless worlds that eventually extents to a deliberately methodical disorder that aids in the track’s advantage. Breathing spaces within the track show for relentless brain-feet harmonization as the track formulates and rearranges itself for a different chapter in its story.
When the right time comes, we’ll let you have a listen to the tracks.
1. Artifact – How Did You Change (Ft. Gates)
2. Artifact – Even
3. Artifact – Even (Huxley Remix)
