Phon.o: Slavemode / Abbey Road (50 Weapons)

Phon.o’s latest 2-tracker on Modeselektor’s 50 Weapons imprint is a really handsome slab of 2-step crossover, a far cry from the deep minimal techno he was creating many years ago. It’s also considerably more rollicking than the more aggressive hip hop crossover waters he’s treaded in more recent years, with a light breeziness to it that makes it infectious and easy. “Slavemode” is perhaps the better of the two, but they are very much two sides of the same coin. Whatever counterpart “Abbey Road” lacks in lushness is made up for with its springy syncopation. Either track would sidle up nicely alongside recent output from Submerse, Re:Sketch or perhaps MJ Cole, a smooth combination of current future garage trends, 2-step revival and production flair that lends it a really gorgeous layer of polish.

Listen on SoundCloud

Buy it: iTunes | Monkeytown/50 Weapons | Boomkat | Amazon