Bleep

After releases on the likes of !K7 and Sud Electronic, South African artist Portable now hops over to Dial (Roman Flugel, Efdemin) for his latest EP. On A Life Without Notifications Portable applies his soft-touch vocals to a set of smoky house grooves. ‘I Open My Eyes’ and ‘Sheltered Light’ are both particularly soulful. They slowly build grooves which incorporate elements of Midwest deepness, South African house and a touch of acid, and Portable lets his quavering tenor gently crest atop them. They’re warm, welcoming tracks that are reminiscent of Kindness’s best work. Sandwiched between we get the more unusual ‘Wear Your Life Like A Loose Negligee’, a cut where Portable uses his voice more texturally and the groove is built on a skittering beat that recalls Steve Spacek’s recent output.