Artist: Joshua Cantrell
Title: Protein / Foreigner
Label: Midnight Recordings
By: Simon Jones | 19 September 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Protein
• B: Foreigner

Joshua Cantrell "Protein / Foreigner"

Joshua Cantrell is the production alias of Richard Gill, owner of Pied Piper Records and one half of production outfit Midnight Blue alongside Alexander Church. However, he is more than competent in his own right, though his own solo works are few and far between, but here he is with two new tracks on his friend Alex's Midnight Recordings imprint.

If it's laid back downtempo joints you want, then look no further than 'Protein'. It's ambient swirls, trickling melodies and hazy beats that fade into the groove all come together to create a dreamy, laid back soundscape which would sound perfect in a warm upset or as post club listening at an after hours. A breathy female vocal shimmers to the surface on occasion and the rhythm and percussion on this track are second to none. Warm and melancholic, and well worth a listen.

'Foreigner' follows in a similar mold, using a chime based melody as it's centre focus, with more emphasis placed on the drum programming, in turn creating a driving tribal groove which runs through the heart of the track, though never really diversifying from it's tangent. Eastern sounds fuse with the melodies during the final section of the track, but overall this falls to impress as much as the a-side.

Not a bad little offering from Midnight never the less, continuing that downbeat theme that they have been doing since their inception. 'Protein' is worth checking out if you love downbeat and intelligent music, but other than that, there's not much here to grab your attention.