Drawing us in with metallic percussion, expanding into a celestial house production featuring cerebral vocalizations, Efan Electro opens the Extended edit of Feel the Beat (Old Skool) with dimensionality and a nod to history with a spoken word monologue.
The words remind us, “We’re going back to the old skool, way back to the day, people came from miles around to hear the music play…”. This really cements the important history of house before the composition opens into clarity with a mantra of the words, “I can feel the beat…” serving as a hypnotic hook.
It is always worth noting that “house music” originated in the early 1980s in Chicago, emerging from African American, Latino, and LGBTQ+ club communities who blended disco, soul, and electronic dance influences into a new underground sound. We appreciate Efan Electro for bringing this to the forefront with his composition, reminding us of history.
The build of the track is sublime, melodic, and super dance floor friendly. The spoken word moments re-emerge, and a laser-like riser leads us to another minimalist moment where we are invited to connect with the beat. We appreciate the sonic ebbs and flows that keep us enthralled throughout, leading us to a rhythmic finale which evokes notions of a heartbeat.
Speaking on the release, Efan confesses, “This release was heavily influenced by the late 80s house sound, especially the timeless records and club energy created by pioneers such as Frankie Knuckles, Larry Heard, Marshall Jefferson and the iconic spoken-word style of Chuck Roberts.”
We learn that Efan Electro is an 11-year-old producer and DJ from Llanllechid, Snowdonia. He has been making waves with his bedroom-produced house music, earning praise from BBC Introducing Wales and gaining recognition at major festivals and tours.
Needless to say, our minds are blown, and we have added Feel the Beat (Old Skool) to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Efan Electro, and anticipate future releases from the rising ingenue!