Are We Ever Leaving Here? by Loz Goddard

As a producer, Loz has operated under several guises, but one thing has always remained - his elegant and inspired application of melody. His early career was marked by many superb releases on labels such as Church, Tusk Wax, Apparel, and many more, all of which highlighted a deep affection for groove, tone, and atmosphere.

The music largely operated within the realms of Deep House - at times spilling over into Nu-Disco - but there was always a little bit of shine on each EP that pointed to other spheres of influence, and it was these reference points that made Loz Goddard’s music feel broad, considered, and introspective. The music appealed on many levels and provided plenty of worlds and spaces in which listeners could get deeply involved, and this journey is filled with beautifully polished gems that can be held and admired in your hands time and time again.

A two-year break from releases resulted in the release of "Ballon Tree Road," his debut LP and first release on Oath, and to say the record was a step forward would be an enormous understatement. Here, Loz Goddard set down a marker of things to come, as he drew from the melodic outlays that were a cornerstone of his discography to date and permeated these through a spectrum of styles and rhythms that represent everything good about a dance music record. You had the quiet moments, the heartfelt moments, the pure and powerful moments, with Loz exploring everything from Breaks to Ambient, Broken Beat to House, and even some D’n’B thrown in for good measure. This was a marker if there ever was one, and it firmly established Loz’s second-era phase, one where his abilities were given space to shine on a much broader scale.

"Are We Ever Leaving Here" builds upon the energies found within his debut LP, providing a bite-sized experience that aims itself directly at the dance floor - but listening at home provides a lot of scope for inward escapism. The EP presents three original cuts, of which the title track gets things going - a deep set, resonating chord gets things going, which fans out to include additions to the sequence, and before long, the breaks come into play, achieving lift-off and welcoming you firmly into the experience. "Parallaxing" really evokes that firm set 90s Techno sound, with a hard as nails rhythm section (with hats aplenty) providing a basis for acid lines, swelling backroom chords and gorgeous interplays between synth lines - the way in which this song peaks is utterly glorious. "Space Nugz" takes things down a notch, but keeps things heavy yet delicate. The beat here is cavernous, diving deep down within the strata along with the bass line that keeps proceedings ticking over. The melodic top layer is spacey, drifting between the ethereal and the real, enticing the listener to leave this plane and pursue a new life in another galaxy.

To round off the experience, there are two remixes from Casa Voyager head OCB, and Bristol-based producer Boulderhead, and they do not disappoint. OCB puts his spin on the title track, and the BPM gets pushed to its max, with the vibe pulled apart and rebuilt as a heads-down, floor-smashing proggy roller. Boulderhead focuses on "Space Nugz," and here the groove is once again flipped on its head, with the remix pushing into the realms of dreamy chuggy techno, with the melodies filling up the spaces so beautifully.

Loz Goddard started something beautiful with his debut LP, and saw his sonics reach new heights and touch new depths. This EP keeps the flames burning bright, with expertly crafted dynamics and his signature melodic abilities on full display, with the two remixes adding much to the experience.

Loz Goddard - Are We Ever Leaving Here?
Release Date September 2023
Label Oath

Tracklist
1. Loz Goddard - Are We Ever Leaving Here
2. Loz Goddard - Are We Ever Leaving Here (OCB Remix)
3. Loz Goddard - Parallaxing
4. Loz Goddard - Space Nugz
5. Loz Goddard - Space Nugz (Boulderhead Remix)