Amy Dabbs - Allure EP

April 23, 2021 - Lobster Theremin

Amy Dabbs goes for the fences on her second release for Lobster Theremin. The Berlin-based British artist has sailed beyond the honey-dripped house of Girl Like Me EP, heading for the faster waters of jungle and drum & bass. Some of the housier sentiments carry themselves over from Dabb’s previous work, with bright melodies and laid-back vocal samples playing nicely with the sharper percussion and energetic rhythms of the 160BPM persuasion. 

Tracks ‘Allure’ and ‘Second Thoughts’ send listeners along a dreamy log flume ride against a backdrop of a never-ending sunset. Melodic chords pulse along beside the logs/boats, lapping up against the edges as they tickle the arms of the passengers. The percussion nestles in place under the currents. It’s a well-balanced dance, with no element taking too much attention for itself. Ambiguous vocal snippets pop in and out of the ride, briefly catching ear-gazes before flitting out of existence.

‘Take It’ takes the flume into the darkness of a concrete and fiberglass tunnel, with energy levels subtly ramping up. Urgent hi-hat-driven percussion pushes the track along in tandem with a sinister warbly bassline. The bright vocal treatment contradicts the rest of the heavier elements, which does provide some interesting tension. From here, the passengers ride up the final ascent, complete with twisted Willy Wonka-esque spooky tunnel imagery. ‘Allure (Yazzus’ Seductive Remix)’ is disorienting, with the 6 Figure Gang producer’s distorted chords and intense vocal sample edits fueling a sense of vertigo and reckless speed. It’s a harsh inversion of the cheery feelings of the original track, bringing the project to an exhilarating halt. 🍍