• Adept display of signature
• Minimal arrangements but highly appealing
• Alluring synergy between vocals and instrumental
Despite I haven’t fixated my attention on any Tech House music lately for my writings, this seems to be the opportune to grab hold of. The British label imprint Defected has happened to garner my appreciation in recent times, and within their veritable and dynamic roster, OFFAIAH’s work has been on repeat for me on several occasions. His latest offering “Play It By Ear” inclines more towards melodic but the dance-floor driving House arrangements, added with good measures of ear-candy to make it suitable for this warmer season.
If you haven’t been acquainted with the mentioned act before, then let me. Based in Las Vegas, the British producer OFFAIAH further propelled into the scene with his preceding year’s hit single “Soldier“. Equipped with rhythmic heavy percussion and robust bassline groove accompanying a catchy vocal, the song cannot be denied applause for its creative and subtle nuances. And if I had to describe his signature sound in a few words, it would be undoubtedly appropriate to select adjectives such as “polished” and “spry”, adept sound selection which builds on minimal structure composed of tonal percussion and tension-building breakdowns, which renders it dynamic to the core. If you want to instigate on his splendid discography, my recommendation would be numbers such as “Push Pull”, “Somewhere Special” and “Work It Out”.
Commencing with knell-ing synth plucks and unobtrusive but grabby bass synth presence, the alluring vocal pours soulful vibes into the funky composition. The production expertly manages to operate with the barest of elements, yet with clever detailing and small variations, it does not feel repetitive as you would from the genre it is based on. Just before the main hook, the voice entailing does a significant role of embedding playful tones, as the intensity is built-up without disturbing the flow. Smoothly ascending, the energy gathered is then released with the efficient instrumental returning fully. One cannot admire enough the simplistic blueprint, yet sounding as much fuller and vibrant as any listener would expect from such creation!
Concluding, I feel words would not do ample justice to the hallmark OFFAIAH has displayed in this song. The chemistry between the vox and the other components is impeccably done, while not being overly pumping or so. I sincerely hope that more such records are coming from him, as this are much enjoyable and memorable than many other mundane and textbook tracks.
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