Gorgon City take over summer with godly new album ‘Olympia’: Album Review

Charismatic house duo Gorgon City release their third studio album, via Positiva/EMI. ‘Olympia‘ is a beautifully crafted long play, full of handpicked collaborations and a soundscape capable of entertaining you all summer long. This brand-new album succeeds 2018’s ‘Escape‘ and delivers a mystical journey between past and present. On 18 tracks of the most perfect musical expertise, Gorgon City seamlessly blending the finest 90’s house with the bubbling 2020’s pop. This LP celebrates these two musical worlds coming together, and the musical union of the two elements of the duo since during the creation of the album they were apart. With the Atlantic Ocean in the middle, Matt stayed in London and Kye moved to Chicago. The escapism and exploration feelings aroused by the tracks on this album narrow not only the distance between Gorgon City but also try to reconnect people with each other, with music, with clubbing. From mortals for mortals, but with a divine sound, Gorgon City deliver ‘Olympia’, a work worthy of Zeus and the other gods of the Olympus.

Soaked in Greek mythology, the album is a collaborative work that mirrors Gorgon City’s bouncy and house-infused sound and aims to showcase talented vocals that the duo love to find and use. On ‘Olympia’ you find genre-spanning and eclectic vocals that belong to Aura James, Josh Barry, Sofi Tukker, Jem Cooke, DRAMA and many others.

Gorgon City have a gift for spreading catchy music. Before the pandemic, the frenetic pace of the duo’s touring gave them multiple opportunities to absorb the crowd’s energy, then manage to replicate it in their music. The sound of their tracks is additive and the vocals they insist on putting out deliver lyrics that are impossible to get out of your head. Who has ever managed to forget the big hit ‘You’ve Done Enough‘ featuring DRAMA? This is one of the singles you already know from ‘Olympia’. Dive in with us throughout the album to find out what other pearls Gorgon City have in store for you.

Tell Me It’s True

A melodious yet rhythmic way to start. The evenly and silky vocals tuck you in and push you into a dancefloor packed with good vibes. Sparkling and uplifting, this track delivers a sprouting bassline adorned with a pristine piano riff. It’s an ode to summer and dedication to the good days. It’s almost five minutes of pure euphoria.

Oxygen (feat. Aura James)

The rhythm of ‘Oxygen‘ arrives marked with sparkling claps, setting the tone. The atmospherical synths build up a galactic melody, embellished by Aura James’ burly vocals. The kick is demarcated and poignant as if to keep you grounded at the same time as the melodic sounds attempt to abduct you out of your body. Hard without being melodramatic, it offers an immersive journey.

You’ve Done Enough (feat. DRAMA)

Be warned, this track is highly hypnotic and additive. Gorgon City never leave the power of the bassline forgotten and use it like no other. The textured voice of Via Rosa from DRAMA is unique and perfect to give soul and body to the melody. The build-up of this track is hallucinating and the drop capable of driving the crowd wild. It’s extremely bouncy inviting a frenetic and energetic dance. A floor-ready bomb.

Dreams (feat. Jem Cooke)

When the vocals are Jem Cooke’s, you know you’re going to fall in love. Lined by a magical metallophone, it envelops you in a mythical atmosphere that makes you float until the kick and bass throw you onto the dancefloor. Powerful, this track has a dynamic designed to dance and make you dance. The name says it all, it sounds like a dream to live awake and in a club, preferably.

Body Language (feat. Cami)

The beat is strenuous and the bass deep and fierce. Always displaying the typical sound of the duo, it delivers fresh and intense sounds. Cami‘s vocals are dramatic, perfect to punctuate the song’s crescendo. The drums are in evidence here, awakening the body language of all listeners.

When You’re Gone

Shimmering hammers of joy. This track is wrapped in soft, good-natured energy, like a musical aperitif. The delicacy and minimalism of the melody make it a beautiful day/night hydride. The voice is subtle, blending into the soundscape like an instrument, a beautiful and catchy complement to the track’s atmospheric layers.

House Arrest (feat. Sofi Tukker)

If the title reminds us of the lockdown days, the sound frees body and mind. Sofi Tukker sweetens the track with infectious and soft vocals, which seem to melt in a bass-infused and urban musical narrative. The percussion is intricate, the melody is dynamic, offering multiple layers that tell a story. The dichotomy of the sweetness of the voice with the ruff soundscape is delicious. A club-ready vocal anthem.

Never Let Me Down (feat. Hayley May)

Soulful, sexy and hot. These are the first adjectives that come to mind when listening to this gem. The hard-hitting piano house flavour matches perfectly with Hayley May‘s warm and sensual vocals, which give soul to the track. It has that classic house charism, that makes you shake that yes with your head of how good it is.

Sweet Temptation

House classic type of vocals and a sound that screams summer. This ‘Sweet Temptation‘ recalls the sensual house tracks of the ’90s while exposing the most modern production techniques. Pop-infused, this track has the right levity and musicality to soundtrack your summer nights.

Nobody (feat. DRAMA)

Delicious piano entrance to introduce to a superb vocal by Via Rosa from DRAMA. It’s a deep house masterpiece infused with sensual and spiced vocals. This track is a modern ballad that brings together an ambient and consoling vibe with warm and sensual flavours. Perfect for sharing the track with your better half. A real delight for lovers of a slow and heartfelt dance.

Lost Feelings (feat. Rose Grey)

Rose Grey‘s captivating vocals lead the way to the bursting waves. The drop of this track is complex, penetrating and passionate. Gorgon City manages to surprise with a full track, packed but with plenty of air using a different and refreshing metric. A perfectly balanced anthem vocal.

Tears (feat. Grace Grundy)

A little darker and harder than the other tracks, it delivers an extremely elegant cut. Grace Grundy spices up the minimal melody with a soft yet powerful voice. The bass is, as you’d expect, sweeping and powerful. ‘Tears‘ is sensually urban, a bit more industrial, but without losing that house touch that Gorgon City use like no one else.

Waiting For The Right Time

With an unparalleled beat, this track is warm, groovy and hard. It presents a magnificent balance between organic sounds and synthesiser, developing into an intricate and dense melody. It’s a deep cut soaked in an ambient sound and condensed by heavy percussions, like a chic tribal cut.

Ecstasy (with Jem Cooke)

Jem Cooke in a heavenly form on a quirky uplifting sound. In a way, this track takes us back to a gospel-like vibe, packed with the best of electronic music. ‘Ecstasy‘ is low profile but has incredible and cathartic power, being a nice candidate for the dancefloor.

Image Credit: Hayden James (via Instagram)

Foolproof (with Hayden James & Nat Dunn)

A true love triangle between Gorgon City, Hayden James and Nat Dunn. Nat’s sultry voice gives a modern and extremely pop tone, at the same time as the dry and punchy percussion leads to an authentic house cut. The undulating melody captures deeper and more atmospheric sounds. A light music but not superficial.

Burning (with Evan Giia)

Already a hit, this track encapsulates the musical DNA of Gorgon City. The chorus gets stuck in the subconscious, being as addictive as the rest of the song. Evan Giia‘s vocals are soulful and full of character, matching the rumbling horns and warm bassline, which give the track an almost tribal warmth. The infectious beat is displaying an overlay of surgically juxtaposed layers to deliver an atmospheric club cut.

Thoughts Of You

This track brings a levitating atmospheric ambient sound, embellished by a modern and suburban rhythm. The synths are magical and hypnotizing, matching perfectly with the whispering voice that adorns the melody. It’s full of the immersive and contemplative vibe that has been growing in clubbing in recent years.

Freedom (with Josh Barry)

Marking the end of this delightful album, this track packs the tender and sultry vocals of Josh Barry. After everything we’ve been through, it represents a suffering, meaningful cry for ‘Freedom‘. The soundscape is subtle, letting the voice get all the attention it deserves. This track is a true Gorgon City manifesto that gives voice to music and its freedom as art. Purely contemplative.

 

The plasticity of ‘Olympia’ makes it a perfect album to start enjoying on the drive to the club, and to continue on the dancefloor, right through to the close. Soak up this rejuvenating energy and awaken the clubbing spirit with ‘Olympia’, press play below.

Image Credit: Gorgon City (via Facebook)