At the end of 2014 Brooklyn electronic imprint Scissor + Thread have earned our full attention. They introduced us to soulful deep house duo Bob Moses who eventually landed a deal with Domino Records; they cut a personal fave in Francis Harris’ Minutes of Sleep LP which had the label honcho further establishing himself as a force in both stripped-down techno and ambient; they just released a left-field EP by Desert Sound Colony which paired chill-out electronics with psychedelic indie rock. Quietly the label’s built a string of sterling releases — and their latest comes via Frank and Tony the deep house collaboration of Harris and Anthony Collins.
You Go Girl the duo’s first LP after releasing a stack of singles is a familial affair — Gry Bagoien who provided vocals on Harris’ two solo LPs appears and Terre Thaemelitz a.k.a. DJ Sprinkles contributed to an EP track teasing You Go Girl — like much of Scissor + Thread’s work it’s equally built for headphones-on home-listening and the dancefloor of New York’s Panther Room where the label sets up shop. The result is moody late-night house that’s simultaneously expressive and lovely: “Bring the Sun”’s muffled percussion and slinky melody is lounge-ready; “Call Me Rain” all thumping kick drum swirls with grey synth washes and is perfect for rainy days; “Villa Seurat” meanwhile is a sophisticated kaleidoscopic burst of colour; and the submerged chords and tasteful vocals on “Resistance” provide a counterbalance to the song’s hard-charging 4/4.
Harris and Collins used analogue recording and mixing production and that’s likely the cause of one of You Go Girl’s more likable elements: Its organic earthy qualities. “Only By Moving” and “Faded” for example are surprisingly pastoral — both possess body-moving backbones but swirl with ambient noise that if you listen hard enough sound just like a flowing river. It’s beautiful eminently danceable and above all completely immersive. You Go Girl continues Scissor + Thread’s impressive hot streak.
