Review: 'Drop The Pressure'/'Better' - Deezguyz

This review is going to be a little different to the various others found across this blog; when I like to review, I’ll generally critique an entire album or EP from start to finish, as I like to discuss the ways in which the release works as a whole. When I saw that Deezguyz were going to be putting out some new music however, I was particularly eager to review – so instead, I’m going to be discussing the two separate singles that they’ve released over the past week. For those unfamiliar, Deezguyz is the side project of two of the hardest-working producers in the scene, Father Funk and WBBL, who – clad in their Humpty Hump glasses – began releasing music together just over a year ago.

Last Friday, the duo put out ‘Drop the Pressure’, their remix of Scottish producer Mylo, which is a surefire dancefloor killer. The sound is immediately quite distinct from either of the artists’ respective solo work – a rather appealing change, which is more reminiscent of classic French house acts such as Daft Punk. It certainly sounds like something that could have emerged out of mainland Europe, though at the same time the bass tones are instantly recognisable as the work of Father Funk in particular. Indeed, the bassline is brilliant, and the drop towards the end is funky as hell.

Out today, ‘Better’ continues this vibe, although with a bit more of a noticeable disco influence. A sweeping piano with quite the high tone signals the introduction to this one, and later on we hear what sounds like a keytar playing the main refrain. This timbre gives the piece a kind of space-age feeling, with some real retro-futuristic elements to the sound. Again though, there’s more to the piece than just house – I particularly enjoy the glitchy treatment of the vocal samples, and of course there’s another fantastically funky bassline, which even though it’s synthetic still manages to carry a kind of live intonation.

Unsurprisingly, given the reputation of these artists, both these singles are great fun, and manage to bring elements that their respective fans will love, whilst still sounding remarkably fresh. I can’t wait to see how these tracks go down on the dancefloor once we’re all allowed back outside; both these producers are very present on the UK festival circuit, and I certainly expect to hear these songs played out extensively. I’m not sure if they’re planning on putting anything more out together in the near future, but if they do, it certainly has the potential to add up to a solid collective release.