wAFF - Leaving You [Nature]

DJ Support: Frank Rizardo, Capriati Bros, Dice, Marco, Bibi, Pawsa, Rossi, Richy Ahmed, Jamie Jones, Illario Alicante, Blondish

The Leeds / Hull born DJ has always championed new and young artists. But with Nature, his goal was to start building the careers of next-generation talent alongside already established figures in tech-house. After overseeing a steady stream of serious genre cuts at the helm of Nature, wAFF takes the reins again for the label's twelfth release.

Leaving You kicks off with an infectious groove that holds strong throughout its 7-minute run. Like many of Nature's releases, the track features a vocal line that will stay with you long after you've left the floor. Its vibrant sound design is underpinned by a hard-hitting bassline and slowly simmering percussions.

In Underbite, wAFF uses a combination of tense, squealing pads to accompany a wobbly bass. The track unfolds like a compressed spring, gradually expanding into a high-energy, stomping piece, brimming with a sweet atmosphere despite its somewhat rawer background.

The dry claps and zig-zagging synths that open Fat Couch remain constant in the track that closes the EP. It's another playful yet finely presented track, which changes towards the end when an ominous Jaws-like melody appears, just before a chopped vocal – instantly recognisable – marks the final bars of a swinging bassline, frantic hi-hats and snares.