Mixpak is proud to present the first in a series of EPs from UK producer Murlo. Now a forerunner in the crowded and inspiring British underground, Murlo is known for his melodic imagination, his ability to make “music visual” and his trademark ability to expertly weave a number of elements from the contemporary UK club story.
Though often recognized for his instrumental offerings, Murlo adds yet another string to his bow with his Jasmine EP for Mixpak, which is his first, full original vocal release, featuring up-and-coming Irish vocalist Gemma Dunleavy. Threading together influences from RnB, grime, dancehall and pop, the EP sits nicely in the UK tradition of female vocal underground records. The elusively-titled “Jasmine” hints at a dancehall riddim, with Murlo’s synths and piano lines serving as a powerful counterpoint to the emotional longing of Gemma’s songwriting. On the flip, “Deep Breath” reaches for a spacious but often intricately layered backbone that toys with sino-grime and wistful melodies, as her almost masochistic storyline takes the forefront.
Despite different BPMs and sound palates, Murlo & Gemma Dunleavy manage to strike a delicate balance, maintaining an emotional and sonic thread throughout. This is new terrority for Murlo, but still familiar ground for his fans; his signature sound now comes with added catchy choruses. Constantly surprising, always progressing and forever adept as a producer, we’re excited for our coming projects with Murlo and this is a strong start.
