Club Coil

UK producer Murlo returns to Mixpak for his third EP, Club Coil, a glistening, six-track release of bold R&B futurism and subtle club tropes, complete with illustrated artwork and hand-animated videos made by Murlo himself. A fitting follow-up to his two previous records, the instrumental Odyssey EP and entirely vocal-driven Jasmine, Club Coil is a mature and emotive club dreamscape that embraces depth of feeling on a cohesive mix of songs and pure dance tracks. Tightly bound by his singular palette and classic aqua-melodies, Club Coil explores opulent ambient landscapes in “Coil”, curveball R&B on “Velvet & Rust”, a flash of classic club ammo on the giddy bassline jaunt “Moss” and a fierce catharsis on “Tired of You”. Long time collaborator Gemmy Dunleavy gives us the forlorn love song “I Need”, gliding and 2-stepping her way through a free-floating structure, duetting with fluttering synths. Soulful and longing on the shimmering and weightless “AFK”, Gemma’s bittersweet romance and soulful tone sits perfectly with Murlo’s soft and delicately worked textures. As always, Murlo is irreverent to genre and sonic norms, and Club Coil only serves to amplify just how thoroughly unique an artist he is, one who remains totally unmoved by the world that exists beyond his own.

The second EP from London producer Murlo is competent but bland. It feels like a document from dance music’s recent past, proof enough that the post-club sound is becoming stale.