Billon – Dive In

Dive In — a four-track EP forthcoming on Rinse — marks the return of Billon. Across a string of EPs for Rinse over the last few years, the London producer’s take on garage-influenced house has developed into an increasingly bold and distinctive sound: with sleek, heady chords that swirl around bob ’n’ weave drums, and an intrinsic sense for melody played off against a seam of sound system bass pressure. Further building upon that aesthetic, the four monolithic yet deliriously liquid dancefloor tracks on Dive In feel like both the culmination of Billon’s evolution process so far and a vision for the future. It’s telling that, alongside two soulful, vocal-led originals and a joint track with Nu Tone, the EP also features a collaboration with garage godfather Todd Edwards, one of the architects of the musical continuum that Billon’s music draws inspiration from.

Indeed, opener ‘Nothing’ and ‘Don’t Be Givin’ Up’ with Todd Edwards form the call-and-response heart of the EP. The latter is proudly classicist, led by the distinctive, deftly catchy cut-up vocals that Edwards pioneered and dizzy with synthetic instrumentation, all set to a molten, waist-winding garage groove. ‘Nothing’ takes the same mood and runs with it, with its shards of vocal and glancing chords remaining at the song’s core as it gathers energy and builds to a summery, synth-soaked epic. The infectious title track is pure streamlined momentum with a twist of melancholy, gradually sweeping upward into a towering mesh of voice, drums and a thrillingly unruly bassline. Finally, Nu Tone collaboration ‘Holding On’ closes the EP on a rougher house note, its whirlwind chords driven by a stiffly funky, jacking drum machine beat – raw motion with a sugary twist. Dive In EP is the follow-up to last year’s anthemic ‘Special’ with Maxine Ashley.