Freerange Records Colour Series: Yellow 01
Release 23rd February 04
US distribution: Groove

London-based Freerange is best known for its releases of immaculately produced broken beat, spacey house and downtempo tunes. Recently, the label has reached into their archives to produce Yellow 01, the first compilation of rare and previously vinyl-only releases. On the record, label co-owner Jamie Odell's Audiomontage project is prominently displayed with “Movin' On,” a rich, bubbling disco groove with lingering atmospherics and crisp drum programming. Landslide’s remix of Hanna’s “Faceless Emotion” takes soft piano notes and echo, adding thick broken beats punctuated by quirky synth chirps and a fluid, bending bassline with tinges of mid-tuned toms for added rhythmic element. Label stalwart Shur-I-Kan’s “Generations” offers perhaps the most floor-friendly tune with tinny snare snaps and complex, yet uncluttered percussion building into a lush synth line washing over the track. The compilation is unmixed to allow for several different genres and does an excellent job introducing the clean, atmospheric, yet delightfully percussive Freerange sound.