The Marquis Of Hawkes

Opening with the beat-less droning ambience of Beton Theme, the album takes in a variety of themes from across the house music spectrum, from the deep and dubby meditation of Instrument Of Thought to the body jerking rhythms and retro bass stabs of Tough Love, the introspective mood of The Matrix, to the soulful New Jersey styled House grooves with a contemporary twist of ‘Sunset’, building through the optimistic joyousness of Hope In Our Hearts before closing with Lidell’s heartfelt and passionate emotional overload on We Should Be Free. First emerging in 2012, after being sought out by Glasgow label Dixon Avenue Basement Jams, and having previously been heavily involved with the free festival sound-system culture, the London born artist’s iconic sound has taken shape with the influence of music from cities like Chicago, Detroit and New York alongside the UK’s underground house scene. With both depth and clarity of vision, Marquis Hawkes’ second album for Houndstooth expertly hones a shining hybrid of classic slamming house and grittily soulful optimism, making for a career-defining piece of work.