Ejeca – Free From EP

A1 Stoke It
A2 Faith
A3 The Basics
B1 Free From
B2 Looksee
B3 Free From (Cinthie Remix)
Remix – Cinthie

One of Belfast’s finest exports, EJECA is no stranger to Shall Not Fade. Initially appearing on the label last year with the infectious hardcore-tinged Polar Nation EP. This time round EJECA demonstrates his knowledge of the harder edge of UK dance music with the weighty Sunburst EP, backed with a killer remix from Cinthie.

The pulsing kick of ‘Stoke It’ is tempting, like the low end frequencies felt echoing out of some dark Berlin club; paired with dramatic analogue synth effects and old-school energy, it pushes straight into high stakes rave callback ‘Faith’. Then closing the A-side is the glimmering electro-disco-beat of ‘The Basics’. Think early Warp Records meets modern space-age drama. The title track can be found opening up the B-side; unrelenting blissful arps allow space for a slow build-up so that the eventual kick-drum catches you off guard. It swirls towards a cliffhanger drop, forming a beautiful centrepiece to the record. ‘Looksee’ is the slightly more relaxed B2, muted low-end bassline and protracted pads giving a well-deserved breather from previous intensity. Ejeca has enlisted the much-revered Berlin DJ and producer Cinthie on remix duties for the expansive title track; her bouncing house edit reimagines the tense, entrancing production of the original into a seductive groove that closes the driving, dark EP with a bit of sunshine.