Shogun Audio is one of the mainstays of the British D&B scene. The founder and head of the Friction label is firmly in the direction of the music that appears under this brand. It is obvious that his hand also led the selection of the fourth part of a series of Point of Origin compilations. Vol. 4 was released on February 26, 2021 and is one of the things that cut the long wait for the first proper album of this year. Let’s see why.
The compilation will please not only with the number of tracks, of which there are 15, but also with the selection of the entire spectrum of artists. The first of them is definitely worth mentioning. Joe Ford is a synonym for a synesthetic approach to working with sound and novel techniques in making music. There is nothing we would not critically examine to assess whether he is still in shape. And he is. His track was created in collaboration with the promising British producer Jolliffe (with previous pieces, for example on Spearehead Records) and represents the harsher shades of the compilation.
If we are openly favoring one author who appears on the compilation, then it’s Phaction. And we know why. In the long run, he is a precise insurance against the case of best music genre in the world becoming a boring periphery of generic production. In addition, his collaboration with a talented vocalist is extremely good for him. Not for the first time and certainly not for the last time – after all, he had tried the tandem with Leo Wood several times.
Bert H brings similar pleasure. We have been following this fine Russian artist since the beginning of his work at Fokuz Recordings. It pays off. He is the author of many tracks that do not just fall out of the category of Favorites. He aspires to be one of them. Subtle, pleasant and light as the first rays of the spring sun.
For some tracks, just a little is enough: bassline, piano and delicious vocals. Soul:Motion & Vector knows the story with the track Land Of The Lost Souls, which can be included among other delightful pieces of this fresh Brighton project. However, Echo Brown became a big surprise and number one for us after listening to the record several times. This guy recently released one great EP elsewhere and luckily for Point Of Origin Vol. 4 they have managed to pin the track Conversations on it. We are convinced that this is the best thing we can find here. It is atmospheric and has balls. Unprecedented planes of musical thinking embedded in the original author’s pattern. Clearly, concisely and directly on the solar.
The rest of the compilation consists of tracks by lesser-known artists, everyday tracks and those you like to forget. However, the whole thing does not lack sophistication, consistency and allows you to find out that everything is still in order on the Islands. Let’s hope it continues to be so.