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Previous knowledge of DJ Dom is a little scarce; with my own only extending as far as Brackles dropping a few choice cuts and giving shout outs on his Rinse FM show. DJ Dom is in fact the uni mate of Brackles and Shortstuff; both of whom have been championing his work for a short while. This debut EP drops on PTN; the label that’s previously put out releases from Breach, Doc Daneeka, Hypno and Hackman. The Mind of DJ Dom seems to fit extremely well with PTN and sits nicely in line with the label’s other releases – like the others this EP takes the current sound of London’s funky and pushes it to the deeper side of house.
The opener, Boss Mode, is a real percussive slice of deep house, with subtle melodic synth lines and elements of acid creeping in. Computer Love has an altogether different feel; elements of Berlin-esque techno and minimal are given the once over as DJ Dom teams up sparse percussion with a deep plucked bassline and chopped vocals. This second track is a definite highlight; any fans of Floating Points’ style house (and who isn't) are most likely going to fall in love instantly.
Plastic People hits home with shuffling beats and morphing synthwork, whereas the final track from the EP, Untitled, is another real deep number with sweeping synths and a little nod to days gone bye with a squelching acid lead. This is another standout from the release and seems to offer a pretty good summary of the EP; clearly showcasing DJ Dom’s influences with the blending of deep house, techno and more subtle elements of UK funky. The Mind of DJ Dom is a great debut EP; all of the tracks individually showcase his style and clearly demonstrate his influences. The tracks straddle genre lines and take the current sounds of uk bass music that degree deeper into the realms of house – a trend that’s being seen more and more as producers of funky nod more to classic house sounds.
Keep an eye out for a future 12” from DJ Dom dropping on Blunted Robots next year, as well as a possible album on PTN.