Album of the Week: Graff - Canopy EP

Graff - Canopy EP

It's safe to say we at LAMP are big fans of Graff and when Antone and Latane sent over this EP I was ecstatic. I plugged in immediately and embarked on an auditory journey as it slowly enveloped my surroundings with every passing beat. Canopy is a 4 track EP that spans a significant portion of Graff's past few years. As was explained to me 'Cross' and 'Cage' were produced and completed before the duo's recent "bi-coastal affair" began while 'Canopy' and 'Chloe' were nurtured through their current long distance relationship and provide an distinct abstracted style within the collection. Rather than our traditional Track of the Day formatting, and given the exciting circumstances surrounding this release I've decided to do a special Album of the Day review of Graff's debut EP Canopy.

Cross

Soft open tom hits, zips, sweeps and a progression of delayed synth stabs greet us in the opening bars. A looping female vox enters the fold giving rise to a more prominent display of the aforementioned synth notes which is quickly superseded by the vocals as the first breakdown begins. A big grainy bass note rolls through the low end as a pronounced piano chords dances effortlessly over the groove adding some playfulness to the deep mood of the track. The piano really adds some energy when it solos out before jumping back into the main chorus of the song. Some acid style synths can be heard wavering in and out of the arrangement along with a few other arpeggiated notes and FXs to round out an energetic sensual composition. Also if you listen closely enough you can hear seagulls flying overhead in the main breakdown.

Canopy

'Canopy' opens up with a beautiful collection of congas, djembes and other hand drum arrangements nestled neatly behind a soft, clean shaker. A looping piano stab builds nicely into the track's mid range and its introduction into the arrangement is executed effortlessly with clever use of filters and delays. As the the subtle climax of the first low pass drops out we're greeted with the first few bars of the track's main groove. The bassline is simple yet effective. Expertly crafted as a muted saw wave, it provides the essential ingredient to tie the composition together into a cohesive piece. A host of other FXs and arpeggiated sounds accompany the arrangement to provide some inviting details I've come to love from Graff's work. Something interesting to note about this particular song is the percussion transitions. Apart from the track's main kick (which is pure heaven) the traditional drum kit elements don't really appear until several minutes into the song allowing for welcoming diversification in the arrangements 7 minute and change run time. Also if you're patient theres a very cool click noise with a washing machine sample that closes out the track :)

Chloe

'Chloe' represents a more uptempo afro-beat style song in the collection with a series of phased toms and snares that kick off right from the get go. Its relentless rhythm channels a more energetic sensibility while a bouncing bass line groove adds subtle texture. There's a super-cool, quick breakdown in the track around the 3:05 mark that strips everything out except the vox loop and a low sustained bass note that only lets you rest for a few bars before throwing right back into the blender. A host of sweeps, time strecthed vox loops, and zipping FXs provided light substance but do not detract from the core focus of this track. Definitely one of the more unique pieces in this collection, 'Chloe' embodies the spirit of a rhythmic maven commanding the dancefloor hypnotizing your soul and compelling your muscles into a sweat induced frenzy!

Cage

'Cage' is my personal favorite of the EP with it's grainy tech house style and amazing vocal sample that is so completely perfect to accompany the arrangement. Something I noticed that is a sort of signature for Graff is the rolling pads in the intro, if you listen carefully to their Jezebel remix around the 0:17 mark you'll notice a similar percussion roll as well. The main synth stab is raw, aggressive and full of attitude. It's superbly matched with a short padded bass line that counters every down beat filling up each bar with plenty of substance. The bass note's resonance fluctuates and is adjusted in all the right moments whether during a simple transition or as a lead into a core breakdown. As I mentioned before there is an incredible collection of vocal samples that Graff uses from a documentary called 'Écoute' where John Cage elaborates on his observations of sound and music. Graff demonstrate an exceptional aptitude for sample placement within the arrangement of this song and use the dialogue incredibly well to accompany the overall flow of this track.Below is a small excerpt of John Cage from ÉcouteThe first time I came across Steffi Graff (as they were known then) was through a repost of their first Match Tape Mix.The opening seconds of the mix are a ripped recording of Graff's 1999 Finals run in Wimbledon in which she dispatched Kim Clijsters (who idolized Graff as a youngster) 6-2 6-2 in 8 minutes! Clearly I'm a bit of tennis fan and definitely had a big crush on Steffi when I was kid, but I digress.What I found particularly appealing and engaging about this mix and others to come from this talented duo was their attention to detail, track selection but most significantly their vocal sampling. Every time I listened to one of their mixes I would go on a several hour binge of track and artist discovery as well as a deep hunt to discover where they'd grabbed their samples from. A few other notable favorites are their 'Chi Chi Mix', and their 'Swimming with Sharks' mix for THUMP that actually first featured 'Cross'!We were also very grateful and fortunate this year to have Graff present the 4th installment of their 100 minute mix on our #weeklymix series and it certainly did not dissapoint:Enjoy,MR PUZL