Max Chapman 'Catch Me If You Can' review

Image: Max Chapman

When music has had the thumbs up from Kerri Chandler, you know it's going to be the good stuff. Madtech has become one of the most respected new labels on the dance music circuit, but it comes as no surprise when the man behind the imprint is hailed as such an influential deep house DJ.

The label boss, alongside quality producers both up-and-coming and established have developed Madtech's sterling reputation in the short space of three years. The upcoming release from Max Chapman is another testament to the quality selections the label pushes out, particularly from UK talent. 

Chapman has already appeared on Madtech's 02 Ibiza and 03 compilation, but this time round he's taken the reigns completely, offering up a ten-track, full body of work titled Catch Me If You Can.

It opens with the aptly named 'Intro'. Clicky drums and mesmerising whirling synths lead the track, the eeriness is enhanced with an echoing vocal recording. The trickling chords and increase in pitch are met with a brooding, bold bassline.

It smoothly transitions to 'Move Your Body'. An organ slowly creeps in, edging the track towards a dramatic avenue. It's got a real Innervisions sound, it's the sort of track you'd expect to hear at 6am on a dusky terrace as the suns comes up. It breaks down with a croaky vocal before bursting back into a solid house groove.

The album's title track comes next. It's a low-slung tech piece laced with irregular percussions and stabbing synths. Tracks three to seven offer up more of the same synth wise, but Chapman mixes things up for 'Halloween', which shifts into the realms of haunted psychedelia.   

The record comes to a close with 'Get Down', a choppy, hypnotising tech house success. It's soft enough to suit the album, but strong enough to be taken to the dancefloor.

A couple of the tracks on the LP repeat the same synth sounds of their predecessor, but prominent offerings like 'Move Your Body' and 'Get Down' tie it all together, and give us further confirmation that Max Chapman is an incredibly talented producer, more than capable of pushing himself further as an artist with lengthier releases. 

Catch Me If You Can will be released on Friday 5th February.

Check out Max Chapman's upcoming gigs