In the space of two years and five records, Anthony Naples’ sound has bloomed at breakneck speed. Alternating techno-y house releases with rather classic Chicago house records, the boss of Proibito has built quite a lush and fascinating body of work. Returning on Will Bankhead’s The Trilogy Tapes imprint after his excellent “El Portal“ EP, it seems like the perfect moment to check where Naples is at. House scope wide open.
In terms of rhythm, Zipacón remains similar to “El Portal” throughout the four tracks, fluidly seesawing between tough patterns and smoother spans of vaporous house. First on the list, ‘Perro‘ deliciously unfurls its hedonistic synth motifs, developing a chirpy, overwhelming momentum of rooftop parties’ memories while Naples swathes his steel drums in a silken atmosphere. With the title track, ‘Zipacón‘, Naples shows his taste for scratchier, static-filled joints, in the wake of his RAD-AN1’s release. Not just dustier and retro-inflected, the track hides a false bottom of groove science that has plenty to offer with every listening.
As the EP quietly deploys its large spectrum of variations and modulations, from the distorted guitar riffs of the mind-melting ‘Crazy Spirit‘ to the sturdy basslines of ‘More Problem‘, it seems Naples’ sound keeps shedding skins on every track independently. It’s house music scaled-down to its purest essence, capable of exponential moves and in plenty of directions. In the sheer vein of his P O T record, ‘More Problem’ is without a doubt the most dancefloor-friendly track of the four. With its lead-heavy kicks drubing under a drizzle of piano chords and claps drenched in a thick sauce of reverbs, it’s hard to resist Naples’ anthem-making abilities here.
Remaining consistent in his compositions without ever aping himself, the American producer seems effortless when it comes to maintain his implacable progression. Zipacón may not be the most surprising thing you’ll hear this year, the underlying gracefulness that strikes you on each of his sound pieces is nothing ordinary.
Discover more about Anthony Naples and The Trilogy Tapes on Inverted Audio.