Anthony Naples - BBT / Seven
Anthony Naples has long been a bastion of the electronic music scene emerging from New York City. As most of you are aware, New York City has a long and storied history with all sorts of electronic music, with some pointing to the city as a historical staple for electronic sampling with the rise of the gritty East Coast hip-hop sound. The city has become famous for high-rise loft parties that were home to some of the most influential and lauded house producers of all time. Culturally, New York has been a melting pot for culture, media, food, music, and more. Its high-rise flats and closely knit communities are a breeding ground for experimentation, fusion, and appreciation. For Anthony Naples, this New York City identity has been evident in his music from the beginning, as the New York native has blended elements of house, techno, ambient, breakbeat, plunderphonics, hip-hop, and even indie at times. His albums are a testament to this, with each subsequent release more closely aligned with progressive rock concept albums than with the day's trending sounds. So what does his latest record bring to the table?
Right off the bat, you can tell that BBT / Seven isn't one of the powerhouses of conceptual music-making that Anthony's albums usually are. But is that such a bad thing? This time around, we see Anthony really strip it down and make something rather jovial. The EP is rather safe in terms of mood and texture, but it's a lot more focused. Naples takes things back to the dance music producer he started as, and instead of flooding the mix with ghostly pads and whailing synthesisers, he's able to home in on the theme of this smaller release, to have a bit of fun. From the outset, Naples catches this summertime whimsy aesthetic while keeping a serious, aesthetic edge to the sound. The dynamics are cosy and crystalline, relying on only a few elements within 'BBT' to fully get dances to sway hips and bite lips. A flurry of offbeat, phased stabs is introduced into a retro, almost analogue-sounding drum beat, as though Anthony is combining rugged old-school aesthetics with a kind of neo-futurism. The sultry user vocals really add to the overall piece, as it never fully devolves into its R&B heritage. Rather, they use short and snappy phrases, adding a pop of colour and vibrancy to an already technical song. The bassline is Lombard and almost slack, giving this really groovy swing to the dance floor as it pops from octave to octave.
On the other hand, 'Seven' looks to capture a feeling of cosmic bedroom producer. It's rather rudimentary in its presentation, consistent, if not much more than a kick, clap, and hats, which Anthony Naples reworks into a snappy, garage-infused house beat. That being said, it's in the synthesis that things really come alive. Naples brings a pure psychedelia to the synths, which ebb and flow through philtres, phases, and all manner of other psychedelic audio effects. Within 'Seven', the old adage that simplicity makes the track really holds true. The whirling synthesised notes are injected with new energy when jam-like stabs are introduced, sticking in the brain and a bit tart, cutting right through the mix in such a sweet and impactful way, keeping the momentum in full swing. Delicate string samples are laid underneath, adding a bit more texture and grounding most of the sounds so it doesn't feel like an '80s power-synth record. Anthony Naples uses this sonic freedom, along with his experience, to balance those elements, creating proper festival music that makes me smile as soon as it's turned on. A fantastic release, and I definitely want to check it out in these dying embers of the late-year heat.
Label: ANS Recordings (2026)
Anthony Naples - BBT / Seven
