Aussie music producer Tom Stell, who performs under the moniker Golden Features, has been dropping a spattering of EP’s and singles since his 2014 debut, but has finally released a ten-track record, and boy, is it a banger. We’ve been getting snippets of this album already, with tracks like ‘Falling Out’ and ‘Worship’ released earlier this year, offering a taste of what was to come.
Sect throws the listener straight into the deep end, opening on the thumping bass and deep, robotic vocals of ‘Always’, carrying the explosive beats throughout the consequent tracks. The songs on this album take us back to the producer’s intense dance and deep house roots, more like 2015’s XXVI than 2016’s ‘Wolfie’ with Julia Stone.
Tracks ‘Medicate’ and ‘Everything’ are particularly resonating dance tunes, tinged with those signature Golden Features auto-tuned vocals, with one or two lyrics permeating the songs. And that’s all you need when the drops are as good as they are – the kind that gets your spine-tingling with satisfaction, especially when you imagine experiencing them live.
About mid-way through you get some sort of interlude in the form of ‘Pyre’ – a slow burner that pulls back from the continual rolling bass and rave-style bangers. It breaks up the album which (at times) runs the risk of becoming repetitive. However, having said that, Sect manages to avoid this ever happening, with every song throwing up something fresh, instilling a new kind of excitement in the listener. It’s definitely something that was designed to be listened to with a pair of good-quality headphones, or a thumping stereo-system. Anything less would be an injustice, really.
If you’re looking for something to get you going at the gym, pumped for pre-drinks, or drown out the world with some heavy bass – Sect is the album for you.
9/10
