Tornado Wallace – Always Twirling review

Smoothly casting aside all preconceptions about thirteen being an unlucky number, Delusions of Grandeur reach the release milestone with another classy twelve inch. Australian wunderkid Tornado Wallace is once again at the controls with three cuts which fully demonstrate how his panache for production has developed since he debuted on DOG with “Paddlin” earlier this year.

Since then, young Wallace has delivered some fine remixes – with the recent deep Detroit refix of Eddie C on Hometaping impressing in particular – which have secured plenty of play from the likes of Cottam, The Revenge and Tony Lionni. Always Twirling is likely to promote Wallace to the premier league of deep house and disco taste makers such as the aforementioned.

The title track hogs the A Side and is characterised by a vocal hook advertising the return of Wallace. It’s the kaleidoscopic treatment of pads that draw you in though, and the beguiling rattle of 808s and soaring strings that leave the lasting impression on this track that increases with emotive potency as it progresses.

The sweet sensation aroused on “Always Twirling” dissipates with the onset of darkness and intensity inherent in B Side opener “Twirl & The Beanstalk”. A raw dusty beatdown is augmented by a twisting synth rhythm that worms its way deep into your cerebral cortex. The surfeit of vocal edits that maintain this rhythm become barely recognisable beneath the increasingly chaotic array of percussive delight that grows to dominate the track.

The final “Whispering Twirl” affords your senses a much needed break, switching down a notch or two, laying down electric piano melodies over a bumping mid tempo boogie beat. Generous usage of filtered chords adds yet more emotive feeling to the groove.

Tony Poland