Art Department have dropped their first (long expected) full-length album. Here's our judgment.
A lot has happened since Art Department’s debut EP Without You (2009). The North-American duo, consisting of Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White, has made it to the big league with a variety of chart topping productions and remixes, and recently dropped their first full length album The Drawing Board.
The album pretty much reflects Art Depts. well-known sound, which is often referred to as ‘gothic house’ due to the heavy use deep-bleep synths and dark bass work elements while incorporating elements from hiphop to dub to Chicago house and anything else that sounds slightly muddy and swampy. A closer listen reveals a handful of similarities between the sound of Art Department and their musical mentor Damian Lazarus, although the album as a whole clearly has a very personal touch.
The album opens with Much Too Much, a lovely deep houser with a killer melody and vocal parts we’re not sure what to think of. After this somewhat bumpy start, the album luckily continues to serve up monster tunes such as the very trippy Tell Me Why pt.1, the deep and super funky What Does It Sounds Like? and their classic, intense club stomper Without You. In the second half of the album we find one of our personal favorites from the duo: Vampire Nightclub ft. Seth Troxler, a slow-moving semi-disco house cut with a great vibe and colorful melody layers, after which the album comes to an end with a few more experimental in the form of Robert’s Cry and I C U.
Our verdict: The Drawing Board has become a very diverse album in which Art Department’s has managed to get the most of their signature sound. From start to end, the album excels in dynamic textures and inventively programmed beats, while vibes varying from moody to uplifting come and go. To conclude, a very produced album to enjoy if you like your house music raw and edgy.
Tracklist 01. Much Too Much 02. Tell Me Why (Part I) 03. Living The Life feat. Seth Troxler 04. What Does It Sound Like? 05. Without You 06. We Call Love feat. Soul Clap & Osunlade 07. Vampire Nightclub feat. Seth Troxler (Album Version) 08. In The Mood 09. Roberts Cry 10. Tell Me Why (Part II) 11. I C U
House - 
