- Is Leon Vynehall the new Four Tet? Perhaps.
- It's been pleasing to watch Leon Vynehall emerge as a Four Tet-like figure over these past couple years. A mention of Four Tet is, for me, shorthand for an artist who picks up fans a little nearer to what you might call the mainstream, releases music in a broad but recognisable style, plays far-reaching DJ sets, and goes the extra mile when playing live. Four Tet is also fond of single-track releases, which we get here with Vynehall's I, Cavallo, although the vinyl version does include an alternate "Club Front" mix. Coming off the back of a blissful LP and simultaneously grubby and lovely DJ-Kicks mix, this release seems to confirm that Vynehall, like Four Tet, will keep us guessing as to what each new release sounds like.
The answer to that question in the case of I, Cavallo is "the part of a club night where things are tantalisingly close to booting off." Both versions feature long, suspenseful introductions before the kick drum arrives—almost three minutes on the original mix, as Vynehall sets up a soundscape of bubbling beauty. A speed-garage-style bassline that goes womp! is the central feature in both mixes, a contrast to the more dainty electronic and acoustic-seeming flourishes found elsewhere. There's not much to choose between the two versions, with both winding down to near-silence in the breakdown before returning with a low-key thump. Think of them as alternate combinations of the same satisfying raw materials.
トラックリストA I, Cavallo
B I, Cavallo (Club Front)