Leeds based Gavin Herlihy has always been a man of many associations. His modern, metallic house and tech palette has been ever evolving since a debut release on Sasse’s Moodmusic. The intervening years have seen tougher fare for Cocoon and stringier stuff for Cadenza, whilst with maturity are coming slightly lazier tempos, warmer basslines and generally a more heartfelt house aesthetic that finds the Irish born ex journo cosily at home on Crosstown, Culprit and now Matt Tolfrey’s Leftroom. 

You have to admire Claude von Stroke. He emerged as if from nowhere in 2006 with a fresh and funky sound all his own. It stood out amongst dry minimal peers for its bright colours, quirky hooks of whistles, chirps, burps and whatever else, and still does today.  Importantly, though, despite his and Dirtybird’s output being decidedly off-kilter, infectious and unhinged, it’s never strayed into nauseous novelty territory.  What’s more, despite a pre-occupation with big bold bass notes, never has it veered into derivative dubstep or future-post-whatever, either: it has all the lovable bottom ends and uncontrollable energy without the mopey, insular, self-aware conceit of so much bass music today.

Of course, the charity work Jay Haze does is highly commendable, but that’s not to say the outspoken US ex-pat’s music should be spared criticism. With this release on Supernature, though, it should be: not out of reverence for Haze’s humanitarianism, but simply because, once again, the man’s managed to churn out four more ‘floor ready tracks that stay with you longer than most. Apparently, “all of the original music files [which make up this From The Vaults EP] were lost but rediscovered” but there are no clues as to how old they were when misplaced, either in the PR nor the sounds themselves - a tick already, then, for the EP’s inherent timelessness.