South Australian producer Motez has been on a steady, consistent incline to the top over the last few years. His exploratory, experimental output has seen him delve deeper and deeper into the depths of house music, and his musical integrity and refusal to be anyone but himself has seen him acquire a massive, and loyal, fan base. After a couple of EPs, a slew of successful remixes and regular jaunts overseas to play at some of the world’s biggest festivals, Motez has landed on his feet with his latest EP, The Vibe, and is now ready to claim his rightful throne as one of the kings of Australian electronic music.
With down right dirty bass, the opening track from The Vibe kicks things off with a bang. Titled Down Like This, he taps fellow Adelaidean and rising star in her own right Tkay Madiza for some vocals which are then warped, cut and spliced to fit into his garage-y, underground house party. Using a range of styles, Motez melds it all together here and sets a high – but very achievable – standard of what is to come.
Title track The Vibe is up next, with the UK’s Scrufizzer stepping up to the plate. The whirring, urgent synths open with a honeyed RnB hook about partying all night. It’s definitely a step away from the Motez I first got into, but it sounds too good to not vibe with (pun intended). Suddenly, the track builds quickly before dissipating with a drop that brings it back down into the dingy club that Motez makes his own. Borrowing influence from house artists across the pond in the UK, Motez’s sound is more international here and is definitely thanks to Scrufizzer’s rapping. Sounding surprisingly excellent with a rap verse or two over his track, I certainly wouldn’t say no to any future hip-hop collaborations that Motez may put his hand up for- his bassy, pulsing work is the perfect accompaniment for Scrufizzer’s grimey take on hip-hop.
Delicate chords open up the next track, Like You. Featuring Wax Motif, it’s a more upbeat, two-step kind of style, heralding a return to older Motez material. He is pretty friendly with the Disclosure boys, and their influence is very strong in this track. With an epic build, the soulful vocals on loop lift the summery track to another level. This is definitely one of the more commercial tracks ‘Tez has made, but it’s nonetheless equally impressive, showing his range of styles he works in is still expanding. The tropical chords make this the perfect tune to get many new fans on the Motez train, and considering he’s about to tour the country, this one will be an absolute stand out live.
Wrapping things up with Know Me, this is the only track on the EP that doesn’t have a feature artist, so it’s not surprising that it’s also my favourite. Whilst Motez’s music perfectly lends itself to collaborations, it’s on his own that I believe that he shines the most. Heavily edited sing-songy vocals are looped above piano chords and upbeat footwork breaks, whilst a pulsing house beat grounds the tune and carries it along. It’s threatens to break off at any second, but Motez holds it down and brings the heat he has made his name for himself with. A true stand out.
All in all, Motez has once again delivered a stellar EP. Focussing more on collaborations, he incorporates other artists’ styles without ever compromising his own, and whilst we love these tracks, we can’t go past his solo efforts. He’s set to go on tour this month as he warms up for another stellar show at Splendour In The Grass later this year. After that is anyone’s guess, but Motez has once again shown us what he’s made of – and I think a lot more people are finally catching on.
The Vibe EP is out now.
Read more: Check out our interview with Motez