Johnwaynes

I Can See Johnwaynes

LPH's Nik Mercer, Jacques Renault, and James Friedman continue their global exploration of house, disco, and techno with their seventh release. This time the boys head to Portugal for a couple original tracks by Johnwaynes, as well as remixes by the imprint's very own Renault and Finland's production wiz, Roberto Rodriguez, here using his Manolo pseudonym. The EP kicks off with its title track, a smooth, hooky tune that creeps into your ear and stay there, in large part thanks to the catchy whistled melody, bouncy bass line, and looped bell effects. Renault's remix injects a heavy dose of adrenaline into the original's bloodstream, transforming the tune into a slithery, slippery, acid-based peak-hour pleaser while still keeping the memorable riffs intact. The flip is a darker affair. Where "I Can See" is uplifting, hopeful, and cheery, "Holy Sin" is hard-edged, tight, fidgety, and frantic—the aural embodiment of a paranoid, drugged-out crowd, dancing with abandon into the wee hours of the night. The Manolo remix dims the lights even more, adding an additional tone of ominousness, spookiness. Rodriguez enhances the bass chug while simultaneously stripping the cut of any warmth it might have had—imagine a robotized dub set to images of the apocalypse.