Ekonovah returns to Insomniac’s IN / ROTATION imprint with his sophomore EP, ‘Between The Lines,’ which finds him closing the gap between meaningful songwriting and dancefloor-pleasing grooves.
The Phoenix-bred house producer has always had his heart set on carving out his own special corner in the dance space. From the get-go, his productions instantly ticked that box through its one-of-a-kind sonic identity. And yet, his singular sound has become all the more distinguishable since finding the courage to build around his own vocal work. Ekonovah’s new EP is the culmination of these two skills intertwining on a body of work.
“Between The Lines” is the three-tracker’s eponymous offering, earning that honor by fully embracing the intersection of his strengths. His haunting topline tries to do some detective work into a frustrating disconnection with a waning love interest. A tumbling, idiosyncratic rhythm attempts to untangle the mess in its own way, matching the intensity of the vocals through a gripping combination of rolling percussion, quirky stabs, cooing textures, and Ekonovah’s signature bass house buoyancy.
“‘Between The Lines’ is a really important record for me,” says Ekonovah. “Starting to sing on my own tracks was something easier said than done. Creating something with compelling songwriting that also belongs on a dancefloor often feels oxymoronic, but that challenge is also the fun of it. The title track, I think, does an amazing job at blending these two worlds.”
The lead single “See It Through” has been making the rounds since it was first released at the beginning of March. On it, he teams up with fellow label regular Qlank to create a moody, low-slung bass house number that plays out as the perfect fusion of the two bassline specialists.
Sandwiched in the middle of the aforementioned cuts is “Sycamore,” a track that has been a standout ID in his live sets. And for obvious reasons. It’s emblematic of the straightforward party-aimed grooves he initially built his name on.
“I have a particularly fond memory of ‘Sycamore’ because it was the first track I played when live shows came back after COVID had interrupted music events.”
Ekonovah has established a close-knit rapport with the IN/RO team, having released one of his earliest records, Medicine” with another familiar face on the label NOISES. Along the way, he’s made multiple appearances that includes his ‘The Beginning’ EP last year, an apt title marking his first foray at incorporating his own voice into the equation. As an early adopter of his sound, it’s great to witness first-hand how far he’s come throughout his musical journey.
“Releasing music with IN / ROTATION is always a pleasure. My team and I have been working with them since the early days of Ekonovah and they’ve been there for some of my biggest releases, including the new EP!”
Ekonovah’s new ‘Between The Lines’ EP is available everywhere via IN / ROTATION.
