Julian by Depaart

With releases on labels like Diynamic & Last Night On Earth, Spanish label-turned-party-turned-production-team Depaart arrive on Exploited Ghetto for the first time with some impressive pedigree.
Julian is a typically engrossing affair from this talented duo, fusing their house leanings with a heavy nod to 80s synth pop. Heavily reverbered drum hits and haunting atmospheres kick the track off in tandem with a nagging synth arpeggio which slowly filters into focus. A pitch-rising synth whirr signals the intensity is about to hit, and in slams a wiggling bass pulse, matching the melody of the synth in pleasingly juicy fashion. Delicate chime notes flit across the stereo field and next a counter melody cuts through the mix, teasing us with its brief appearance.

The dreamy breakdown comes across like a classic 90s ambient record, with a heavily disguised wind instrument sampled and replayed deep in the mix to add a hypnotic, indigenous feel. The track builds up unhurriedly from this moment of calm, the drum hits sounding huge when given more room to breathe. The pay-off is hugely rewarding as an octave-leaping riff slices through as the track drops. Another mini-break brings more tension, and gated synths stutter an old skool feel into the final section.

Depaart - the producers are Easy Kid and Fran Zaragoza, but they form part of a bigger collective who throw parties in Spain and release music on their own label. 2018 saw them relaunch their production offering, and the output continues to be hugely impressive.

Depaart the producers are Easy Kid and Fran Zaragoza, but they form part of a bigger collective who throw parties in Spain and release music on their own label. 2018 saw them relaunch their production offering, and the output continues to be hugely impressive.