Artist: Digital Witchcraft
Title: The Snowday EP
Label: Institution Breaks
By: Simon Jones | 29 October 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Snowday
• B: Kaylee's Blanket

Digital Witchcraft "The Snowday EP"

The duo of Ned Shephard and Marcus Bacalis first met each other on a recording course in Orlando, Florida. This led to many experiments and projects on and off the course's curriculum, providing the foundation for what has now become the work of the collective outfit known as Digital Witchcraft. Part of a thriving nu breed of talent emerging out of the US scene in the past few years, their work has brought them to the forefront with respective side projects with Sultan and Habersham also earning them accolades. The 'Snowday EP' marks the start of the next stage in their career, with the first fruits of their labour now available for djs and music junkies alike.

The title track 'Snowday' starts in with some crunchy beats which drop over a subtle, swirling soundscape that filters through from underneath. Luscious pads add a more organic edge to the beats, which in turn melt into a drifting bassline, allowing a moving melody line to introduce itself and grow as the track develops, navigating it's way in and out of the deep and delicious beat patterns that are being laid down, fading to a piano style solo, and building back up to a blissful and emotive end which cannot be described. A perfect end of night track. If Momu's 'Sunsicle' is the soundtrack to the start of a day, 'Snow Day' would be it's end.

'Kaylee's Blanket' keeps the emotive vibe following, with a bigger dancefloor beat arrangement driving this upbeat melodic opus as it gets underway. Layered snares ride over a deep and subtle groove as the beats rise over the atmospheric harmonics, with the melody continuously pushing the track forward. Sweeping into a drop, the finale maintains a constant mood, making this a track which will sit nicely in a warm up or as as set builder, showcasing much depth and diversity to this duo's production skills.

A stunning debut which paves the way nicely for their forthcoming projects on Opek Music and Bedrock Breaks, and if this first release on Institution Breaks is a measure of the quality to expect from the label, then it won't remain an institution in just name alone for long.