Blue Daisy/ Anneka – Raindrops review

Camden based producer Blue Daisy first grabbed the attention of Mary Anne Hobbs and other key members of the UK bass music fraternity with his 2009 Strings Detached EP, which created a dystopian landcsape that instantly brought to mind the work of Burial, while tracks like “Hunterz” carried a futuristic swagger that inevitably drew comparisons with Flying Lotus.

Following a recent hookup with Brainfeeder cutie Tokimonsta, Blue Daisy turns to vocalist Anneka for a fresh 12″ on Black Acre. Title track “Raindrops” comes in like a cross between Massive Attack and the aforementioned Burial, with Anneka’s ethereal vocals echoing within a subterranean crackle. The more upbeat, almost tribal percussion on “Blood Petal Roses” soon becomes overpowered by a dread-like atmospherics – intense stuff.

Hugely talented Spanish producer John Talabot gets on the remix, bringing in some lush piano chords and giving the vocals an angelic slant on “Raindrops”, before a house beat kicks in to give the track some dancefloor sheen. Indeed this beat, which comes in and out of the equation over the track’s seven minute duration, is the only real concession to dancefloor customs: this is an EP made with headphone consumption very much in mind. Planet Mu’s Sunken Foal then rounds off the package with a downtempo reimagination of “Blood Petal Roses”, which blossoms into a wonderfully twangy, off kilter freakout towards the end.

Aaron Coultate