You Deserve Better

Tom Trago - You Deserve Better - Jong Nederland - JNL02

https://www.rushhour.nl/record/vinyl/you-deserve-better

a1. From Above
a2. Young Janet
b1. You Deserve Better
b2. Passenger Seat

Early 2020 Tom Trago established the DIY label Jong Nederlands as a vehicle for the improvised, straight-to-tape tracks he records every day at his home studio in Bergen, a sleepy town on the Netherlands’ North West coast. His intention was to surprise and inspire in equal measure, delivering emotive musical material crafted with a small selection of electronic instruments, drumcomputers and effects units.

Thanks to this ethos, no two label releases are the same – as listeners will discover when they tune in to this speedy sequel to JNL001, which hit stores early in the year. Opener “From Above” is poignant and melancholic, with bittersweet synth-strings, spacey motifs and bubbly lead lines riding a lo-fi drum machine groove, while the track that follows, “Young Janet”, offers warmth in morning-fresh musical sunshine via rich Rhodes motifs, chunky drums and sparkling synthesizer riffs.

Darkness, and late-night intensity is provided by title-track “You Deserve Better”, a mind-mangling, acid-fired excursion where trippy, razor-sharp TB-303 lines rise above tough but dusty drums and a suitably weighty bassline. Trago’s basement-bothering intent can also be heard loud and clear on the EP’s final excursion, “Passenger Seat”. Here he readies an imaginary starship for take-off, reaching for flighty, Italo-disco style lead lines, increasingly forthright motifs and the kind of crunchy electronic drums that have long been a feature of futuristic and far-sighted machine music.

Passenger Seat

Young Janet

From Above

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Tom Trago – one of the leading lights of the Dutch electronic music underground, who defined the house and electronica sound of Amsterdam like few others. He is a globe-trotting DJ, producer, live performer and label owner who enjoys nothing more than championing both overlooked gems and fresh sounds from his own country. Tom Trago held residencies at renowned Amsterdam institutions Trouw and De School and name any prestigious festival or clubs worldwide – pretty sure he’s played there.

He once claimed that he felt a physical need to make music every day, and it’s hard to think of anyone whose immersion in music is quite as complete. Tom Trago is known for his versatility across electronic music genres, deep beats and grooves, and remixes for giants such as Depeche Mode. His genre-blurring sound and unique style have made him an influential figure in the world of electronic music.

You Deserve Better

Tom Trago | Voyage Direct