- Adjowa is the latest signing to Happy Skull, a Bristol label with one release so far under its belt—Control / Consumption, the excellent debut from Systems Of Desire, AKA Kowton and Hyetal. Adjowa's debut release is a pair of unashamedly retro hardware jams, bundled with a Funkineven remix.
"8 Ball" finds a sweet spot between Detroit techno and late-'80s boogie. Though its ripples of bright synth make the solid techno groove wonderfully tactile, the vocal sample is too obvious, and doesn't add much. More machine funk than techno, "Red Leather" is better. Its cosmic synth lines and drum machine beats seem indebted to boogie and funk revivalist Dām-Funk. Though that doesn't necessarily detract from Adjowa's knack for a great tune, it's hard to escape the feeling of familiarity. Funkineven's consummate skill is always welcome, and he strips "8 Ball" back to reveal its bare bones, replacing the cosmic synths with a tougher loop that, along with aggressive snares, give the track a new urgency.
Tracklist A 8 Ball
B1 Red Leather (FunkinEven Remix)
B2 Red Leather