LNUK Excursions 001: Visionist ‘Circles’ b/w ‘Iris’

The South London label Lo Note UK (LNUK) inaugurates a new sub-label, Excursions, with a gripping 10″ of new material from the man Louis ‘Visionist‘ Carnell. Stream snippets of ‘Circles’ and ‘Iris’ below:

LNUK, responsible for Last Japan‘s storming ‘Ambush‘ and Pusherman‘s wickedly funky ‘Shake It Off‘, reaches for the “experimental realms of the UK underground dance music scene” with Excursions. Though 001 doesn’t sound what I would consider “experimental”, the release continues on LNUK’s trajectory of releasing solid grooves for the dark and heady crowds. So 001 shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with Visionist’s resume thus far: owner of 92 Points and Lost Codes with releases on left_blank, 502, and Keysound, Louis has commanded broken grime and 2-step rhythms into infectious territory for these past few years, taunting contemporaries and wannabe’s alike with his sense of groove and evocative vocal chops.

‘Circles’ launches headfirst into a deep bounce set off by metallic percussion and a swathe of pitched vocals that trickle around a voice claiming, “This is my purpose in life.” The groove gets stronger as the song progresses; added rhythms and syncopated edits of that quote channel the tune into a forthright statement of purpose for Louis. The b-side ‘Iris’ pushes a strong 4×4 kick through grime’s off-kilter grid, quickening the pace from ‘Circles’ into a strut that’s quintessentially UK underground. The damage this tune will issue on a proper club system…I can only imagine (’til Thursday, of course).

The man has never sounded this confident in his productions before. Take a listen to his recent Dummy mix and spot on Dusk + Blackdown’s Rinse.fm show for further proof if you’re feeling difficult. Dude’s on the climb, hang on if you can.

New Yorkers and neighboring heads – don’t miss Visionist’s debut US performance tomorrow night at Le Poisson Rouge for our monthly party, free entry and cheap drinks from 10-11pm. Cosmic Revenge, Space Jams, and Copout will also be on tap to serenade your Thursday blues, all for freezies.