jonty - off2

NCS is where a certain kind of listener goes for copyright-free energy, and most of it blurs together, so it’s worth stopping when something arrives with an actual identity. off2 has one. jonty builds it around a chopped vocal that’s been pitched and stuttered until it’s basically another synth, and the groove underneath has a bounce closer to UK garage than the usual NCS big-room fare. The drop at 1:15 is deceptively light, no massive wall of sound, just a springy bassline and that vocal doing gymnastics, and it’s more fun for the restraint. Lowercase-titled tracks by lowercase-named producers usually signal a certain bedroom-producer humility, and this has it in the best way: unpretentious, tight, clearly made by someone who just likes the way these sounds knock against each other. Three minutes, no filler, gone before it overstays its welcome. The kind of track that makes wading through NCS worth the effort.

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