Joe Davies - Pardon My Late Response [Smallville]

Joe Davies, also known as DJ Assam, makes a long-awaited return to Smallville after his LP Shields In Full Sunlight with the EP Pardon My Late Response.

Over the past decade, DJ Assam has released material on labels such as his own Lehult, which he runs with some friends, KANN Records, Super Tuff, and the Smallville Records sublabel, Down by the Lake, in addition to regularly playing at prominent clubs across Europe and beyond.

Last year he debuted on Smallville under his own name, Joe Davies, with a full-length album. Now he returns with more of his characteristic deep and hypnotic style on a new EP for Smallville.

The first track in the package is Errol Dub, a six-minute journey that meanders through bouncing bass tones, ethereal chords, crisp percussion, and modulated synths, followed by Unknown, which delves into more reduced rhythms, acidic sounds, soft bells, and subtly nuanced atmospheres. Opening the B-side, 1234 Love captures a rawer aesthetic with saturated drums at its core, while an amalgam of modulated synthesizers and ethereal pads ebb and flow. The Frankfurt Mix of Hi Life, known from Joe's captivating Smallville album, closes the release, venturing into dub territory thanks to spiraling echoes and slowly unfolding chords, supported by an erratic and vibrant rhythm.