Demonstrating the diversity we have thrived on since we started out, Circus Company moves merrily from the intimate songwriting tones of Noze’s Come With Us LP to the expansive dancefloor scope of Carlos Nilmmns. The Scottish-born, Paris-based artist arrives at our label with a strong reputation behind him, proudly championing the influence of Detroit and Chicago while delivering his own harmonious approach to electronic soul music. Both as one half of Solab and on his own, Carlos has delivered his music through such esteemed imprints as 4 Lux, Skylax, Seventh Sign and Ornaments while at the same time collaborating with artists such as Niko Marks and many more besides.
On True Chemistry Carlos demonstrates just how diverse he can be as an artist, dealing in tough peak time energy and serene bliss without missing a beat. Throughout the EP the key ingredient is imagination, as swooning melodies collide with rock-solid percussion in completely fresh arrangements that feel classic even as they simultaneously sound like nothing else out there.
The unhinged synth tones on “Pride” seem to be beamed from somewhere far from Earth, while the head-spinning “When In Glasgow” provides comfort in its looped-up dancefloor focus while it rolls out in an alien configuration. Featuring Keter Darker on vocal duties, “Universal Beauty” finishes the EP off in beautiful style with a sumptuous, emotional take on deep house that avoids obvious tricks and focuses on serious compositional skill to tell an arresting story.
This is a record that delivers on every level for us, both surprising and enjoyable, heartfelt and funky but most importantly original.