London-based project House of Allegro compels with an atmospheric house-forward electronic sound throughout the Home EP. The project comprises producer and DJ Alec B, and initially began as a duo with vocalist Michelina. This release represents a new phase for the act, as Michelina steps back from production, promotion, and branding to focus more fully on an acting career. Nonetheless, her vocal talents are still on display here alongside Alex B’s production efforts; “Home” features her enveloping vocal presence, singing about an old friend she lost. The title track also features production additions from Si Crisi.
Nocturnal synth tones and dreamy vocal intrigue combine on that opening title track. Thumping rhythms arrive into the “ready to go home,” vocal acknowledgement, then assuming a hypnotic atmospheric drive throughout — balancing electro-pop and trip-hop immersion with tactful cohesion. Subsequent track “Without You Here” struts a more industrial, buzzing darkness. Grimy synth buzzing and pit-pattering drums escalate into a lusher, illuminated synth lead. Stutter-y vocal sample effects add an invigorating, soaring feeling as these aspects all converge into a haunting vocal lead reveal around mid-point. The EP kicks off strongly with these two tracks, and continues to captivate from there.
Ghostly vocal effects also enamor on “We Want Your Soul,” steadily increasing its rhythmic intensity as throbbing synths and haunting vocal effects move in. Its future house stylishness thoroughly consumes. This leads into the gripping EP finale “Sequel,” where arpeggiated synth tones infuse within a hypnotic percussive drive for a lingering, memorable send-off to this fantastic EP from House of Allegro, another standout, after grabbing our ears with last year’s album Evolution.
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“Home” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
