Label: Denied Music
Cat: DENIEDLP004
Format: Digital / Streaming
Genre: Deep House, Deep Tech, Organic House, Breakbeat
Release Date:
Beatport Exclusive – 10/07/2023
Worldwide – 24/07/2023
Buy / Pre Order: TBA
Austin, Texas-based Daniel Allen dishes out eight raw electronic jams to keep you moving and grooving this July.
Released on the artist’s own Denied Music imprint, the LP vastly jumps from one style to the next – a signature trait of the multi-faceted producer whose background spans jungle music to house, techno and 80s-inspired pop. On this booming new LP, ‘Phantoms of My Former Self’, Allen seemingly shows us these “phantoms” through a series of tracks exploring past, current, and future styles.
The first track, ‘72 Hours’, nods to early house in a tasty drum and bass combination before adding a level of emotion through a brush of floating vocals and a contemplative synth pad.
There’s a funky synth-heavy garage flex with the final song ‘2B Goodat’, while tracks like ‘Water Weasel’ and ‘Flights of Fancy’ take a more direct house route accompanied by swinging, jazzy drum breaks.
Allen really treats us to some synth delights on this LP. ‘Shakes and Shrugs’ hits hard with a centrepiece riff over a deep-cutting, bright 4×4 beat.
‘Totem’ is a standout on the release: it might seem like an innocent electro-tinged track at first, but the breakdown soon offers a tidy crescendo with a catchy melody. It all ties in with the drums on the second drop, making for a memorable moment on any dancefloor.
Following this is another major milestone of the LP in the form of ‘Too Much Telephone Call’, which adopts a broken beat. Here, Allen continues to serenade the listener in a blanket of beautiful synth melodies.
