Hermanez – Here And Now EP (Trapez Ltd 135)

Hermanez

Hermanez or Michael Coninx in real life is not an overnight star. He has been carving his way through the electronic music scene for a while now.

His work is perhaps mostly associated with his grooving, and tribal-flecked tech- house productions, which keeps finding favours with the masters including Luciano, Loco Dice and Reboot to name a few.

It’s a shame we haven’t heard from him before as he comes from a place nearby our hometown. As he’s raised in Genk, a coal workers area, with many great underground parties in the 90’s and us being one of the organisers, he is or better was fairly unknown to us. Then again he has a monthly residency in the great club called Café d’Anvers in Antwerp (Belgium). We should be ashamed not to have picked up his music before. Even more as he collaborates with another great Belgian producer called Ramon Tapia on their own imprint Aella Music.

Taking a closer look at the producer’s back catalogue, it unveils an all- encompassing production savviness confidently moving through the different realms of techno. From the melodic and highly atmospheric collaboration with Alex Flatner ‘When The Sun Goes Down’, which came out of Noir Music earlier this autumn, via driving techno on Memoria Recordings, and deep erring house on Get Physical’s off-shoot label Kindisch, Hermanez showcases an innate musicality at his fingertips.

Here And Now EP

So, Hermanez is a true innovator and influencer in the world of house. His new EP “Here And Now” shows again his uniqueness to write raw & edgy house tracks.

This EP contains 3 great tracks on which you can hear theya re made with passion and high profile recording techniques with a post Detroit touch.

“Powned”, the opening track uses organ sounds that emerge with urgency and passion, sounds that are filled with blues and soul. Hermanez plays very artistically with the heritage of black music and uses short breaks and brutal drum rolls that unrolls these temperamental mood swings we love so much. Do not temp to stand till once the stop and go rhythm is established.

The second track “Future” is a more mild, funky and elevating track. Feels more like N.Y.C House! It does keep these sound-anecdotes, fast & short changes and a nice passage with a futuristic “wild pitch” sound. For us this is the killer track of the album.

The final track “Past” is not that funky but the baseline goes down to the deeper end of groovyness.

Release date Beatport: 26. May 2014
Release date digital: 09. June 2014

Listen to the previews:

Video for the second track, Future:

Rating: 4/5
Label: Trapez Ltd
Release date: May 26, 2014
Format: Digital

Track list:

1. Powned
2. Future
3. Past