duke hugh: common ground ep
Francisco Espregueira
Duke Hugh is a multi-genre instrumentalist from the Netherlands that came to our attention in 2016, when he released his debut EP called Canvas via Rhythm Section Intl. Common Ground is his latest project, having dropped last friday through Dance Regular. Hugh always delivered a standard of quality in his unique style, which fits perfectly into Dance Regular’s selection of records, and Common Ground is no exception - showcasing a strong musical understanding to blend genres, like broken beat, house, reggae, hip hop, electronica or jazz, in ways that makes perfect sense.
The whole EP reaches the highest standards of musical quality, capable of appealing to people that are drawn to different genres. From the sultry jazzy bruk vibes of “2017 Heat Wave” to the monstrous club track “Nighthawks”. From the detail-oriented “Got My 606 Back” to the deep-house vibes in “IFZ Shuffle”. The highlight goes to the title-track, which the instrumental version was picked up by chance by Renato Paris. His freestyle vocals over the track left the Dance Regular crew searching for their jaws and the connection between Paris and Hugh quickly followed. Common Ground EP works in a multitude of situations, reaffirming the brilliant work from Duke Hugh - staying in his own lane, yet accessible to fans of different rotations. Available in vinyl, don’t sleep on this one.