Before and after their mainstream success,
Disclosure
were playing energetic DJ sets in small clubs, slinging vibrant blends of house, garage, electro, and percussive gems from around the world. Stepping away from the pop side of
heard on their albums, their
DJ-Kicks
volume goes back to the essence of what the duo are all about, providing a smoothly flowing sequence of uplifting dance grooves. Most of the selections are bubbly, shuffling house cuts with occasional vocal snippets but no lyrics, and the pair keep the mixing brisk and the tracks evenly paced so that nothing feels rushed. Things heat up a bit with the fifth track,
Simon Hinter
's "Wanna Make Love," which incorporates acoustic guitar without descending into tropical house vomit.
&on&on
's "Don't Say a Word" has dramatic vocal samples ("I heard enough from you last night to last me a lifetime... I'm about to walk out that door"), yet maintains a sunny vibe, and
M-High
's "Harmony in the Distance" is a straight-up PLUR anthem, filled with reminders that "Love is the key to existence." Two
originals are included in the mix, and they're decidedly on the DJ tool end of things, functioning as glue holding the mix together -- "Observer Effect," actually a
Guy Lawrence
solo production, is maybe the most minimal track
have ever released. The final stretch of the mix branches out slightly, genre-wise.
East End Dubs
' "bRave" is a striding U.K. garage cut with rippling synths and a deep, gliding bassline, and it leads into a club-friendly edit of "Fire" by Ghanaian-British electro-Afrobeat group
Onipa
. Finally, the mix refreshingly ends with a bit of jazzy jungle by
Arfa x Joe
, adding splashes of saxophone to choppy breakbeats. The mix wraps up in just under an hour, so it doesn't wear out its welcome, and there's just the right amount of variety so that it doesn't feel like it's uncomfortably stretching beyond a singular mood. Well done. ~ Paul Simpson