With an impressive string of releases on labels like Needwant, Exploited, and dirt crew, young producer Urulu has been something of a rising force since he splashed onto the scene last year with his Sincerely 91 EP. In case you’ve yet to hear him, Urulu, the artistic moniker of Taylor Freels, makes the type of no frills-90s throwback house that’s been experiencing such a huge resurgence lately. Yet where most producers seem to have their mind on big grooves and floor fillers, Freels has been carving out his own style with each coming release. Not to say these aren’t big tracks, rather, Urulu’s mixture of 4/4 sensibilities with the perfect amount of late night haze has resulted in a series of releases that fit as easily on the dance floor as they do in your headphones.
Urulu has a knack for creating dreamy atmospherics and lush soundscapes that expand and contract around hypnotic bass grooves and rather simple house beats. The songs manage to feel both full and surprisingly minimal simultaneously with the overarching blur of late nights and narcotics providing a common backdrop. Describing his creative process as “chaotic, untimely, and stressful,” it’s surprising that the resulting music is anything but. In fact, his finished products are some of the most elegantly executed house tunes, steeped in ambiance and nostalgia.
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Not one to slack either, Freels is also the man in charge of up-and-coming record label Amadeus. The label, which describes itself as being “devoted to the imperfections of contemporary dance music” and “the 4/4 pulsations of the universal language,” is chock full of the same sort of soulful house grooves. Having just signed a vinyl distribution deal with Juno Records, they have releases scheduled for Cassio Kohl, Steve Huerta, Chaos in the CBD, and Urulu himself (not to mention a remix reissue coming out next month with mixes from the likes of Jack Dixon, Youandewan, James Barnsley, and Broke One).
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So what’s next for the young artist? He’s got a string of tour dates in Europe through the rest of the summer and a handful of EPs in the works which will see release on Let’s Play House, dirt crew, Manucci’s Mistress, and Amadeus. And, while there’s nothing in the works yet, hopefully the future will see a stateside tour from the now UK-based producer.
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