Review: George Smeddles delves into the early 90’s vibe on his new South Records imprint

Few artists have risen to prominence in the short space of time as George Smeddles has done. Remaining explicitly true to his musical inclination, inspired heavily by a background of Garage, Motown, Jazz, House, Soul and Funk, George’s truly unique portrayal of House music has seen him become a distinctive figure on the global stage – all whilst relatively juvenile in his tenure. 

Recently launching his own imprint ‘South Records’, George delivers the labels debut EP, which takes influence from the early rave roots era with a delicious 90’s vibe. The sultry 4-tracker winds through its paces with infectious hooks galore. 

Opening up with the title track ‘90’s’, Smeddles serves up an almost dramatic ‘post disco’ frequency which shuffles through its groove. The implementation of a catchy female vocal emphasises a late-night funk feel. The track represents a throwback to the peak era of house music, stacked full of tight drums and a super-rich bass. The kick adds dynamism to proceedings with a fun and flirty old school chord flowing seamlessly. 

‘Malt Whiskey’ drops in next and continues the distinctive ‘funk’ feel. The track is bursting with acid droplets and vocal snippets, adding a layer of punch to the expertly delivered underlying bass. The tone is delicately chopped and has a deep and dirty house framework, which ensures that maximum soul is delivered. 

On the flip, Smeddles opens with a ‘Piano Mix’ of the title track that encourages an even bigger feel-good vibe than the original. Huge chords are the order of the day as a ‘diva like’ vocal takes the uplifting frequency up a notch. The exploration of the famed-early house music sonics is wonderfully delivered. 

The EP ends with a tasty surprise. ‘Malt Whiskey’ is reworked into a slapping speed garage LDN Dub mix. This remix almost turns the original into a tech-house kicker, pairing back the tempo a little from the original. 

This 4-tracker will be played in dusky rave caves all over the globe. 

George Smeddles’ ’90’s’ EP is out now on South Records.