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From dark disco to muscular EBM, You Man make their debut on Eskimo

Posted on 26 Aug 2020

Back around the turn of the millennium Tepat Huleux and Giac Di Falco, lured by dazzlingly eclectic sets by the likes of The Glimmers and 2manyDJs, would sneak out of their Lille homes, cross the Belgian border and dance all night at the legendary parties that birthed Eskimo Recordings. 20 years later the pair, now known as You Man, make their debut on the label with the stunning 4 track ‘Altered States’ EP.

Those early club experiences obviously made an impact as the pair have followed that open minded approach with their new EP embracing everything from dark disco to muscular EBM, euphoric trance to Konnakol, a percussive vocal effect used in Southern Indian Carnatic music, and even Di Falco’s background as a trained psychologist and hypnotherapist. The result a mesmerising experience primed to both open and expand minds on the dancefloor.

A homage of sorts to ‘The Doors of Perception’, Aldous Huxley’s classic book about his mescaline experiments, the EP’s opener, and title track, is just the thing to get us in the right mindset for this journey. Luring us in with a looping bass line that will lock your body into the groove, ‘Altered States’ kicks into gear as the aforementioned Konnakol vocals, a series of stuttering percussive syllables, work their magic and lift you to new levels of consciousness.

Taking us deeper into this trip we have ‘NonSense’, a track that recalls the wild experimentation and playful spirit of the early 90s trance scene and artists like the Higher Intelligence Agency or Banco de Gaia. Imbued with a playful spirit, the track bounces along as percussive elements, little vocal snippets and strange instruments fade in and out of the mix before echoing off into eternity.

If ‘NonSense’ revels in the lighter side of the psychedelic experience ‘The Veil’ offers us the other side of the coin. Easing us in with a series of insistent, repeating tones that build and build the pressure until the track explodes into life, a throbbing post-punk bass line and looped rising and falling synth tone creating an effect as eerie as it is atmospheric. One for dark industrial warehouses, illuminated by just a single flashing strobe and silhouetted hands reaching into the darkness to tear down the veil that exists between worlds.

Finally we reach the end of the EP and ‘Mind Ballad’, a track that adds a psychedelic twist to the early Chicago House sound of producers like Lil Louis. Created with hypnotic intent, close your eyelids, let the bass line fill your body, and as the snare rush hits open your third eye to the world around you in all its fractal altered glory.

With releases on labels such as Tronik Youth’s NEIN, their stunning live shows and hypnotic visuals created by Huleux, the pair have firmly established themselves on the underground disco scene, their eclectic tastes and esoteric interests combining to create a distinctive sound that is sure to win over even more hearts and minds in 2020 with the release of the ‘Altered States’ EP.

You Man - Altered States EP

  1. You Man - Altered States 
  2. You Man - NonSense 
  3. You Man - The Veil 
  4. You Man - Mind Ballad