Anjunadeep kicks off 2021 with its first melodic-house statement of the year: Modd & Ventt’s Beyond EP, a fresh pairing between the label’s long-time deep-house regular Modd—whose ‘Guron’ and ‘Swallow’s Nest’ EPs have become quiet favourites of the catalogue—and the relatively new arrival Ventt. Released on Anjunadeep, it’s a three-track record with each cut given the full extended-mix treatment, delivering six sides of music that sit squarely in the sweet spot between deep house warmth and tech house drive.
Title track Beyond sets the tone with a rolling, low-slung bassline and airy, sunlit pads that slowly open up as the track progresses, the four-to-the-floor beat anchored by a crisp, close-mic’d kick. Amulet is the EP’s most nocturnal moment, its moody, reverb-drenched arpeggio and whispered percussion trading the opener’s optimism for something darker and more introspective. Closer Dolina Vetrov—“valley of the winds”—is the most emotive of the three, with lush, swelling chords and a bittersweet lead that hovers above a deceptively simple groove.
It’s in the extended mixes that the record really earns its keep. Beyond - Extended Mix stretches the hook out over almost nine minutes, letting the pads breathe and the percussion accrue in layers, whilst Amulet - Extended Mix deepens the space between the beats to dubby, immersive effect. Dolina Vetrov - Extended Mix is the pick of the pairings, its extended arrangement turning the gentle refrain into a slow-burning, peak-time moment without ever forcing the issue.
Beyond is a confident start to Anjunadeep’s year. Modd and Ventt’s chemistry is evident throughout—Modd’s patient, melodic touch meeting Ventt’s more direct club sensibility—and the record works equally well as a headphone listen or a floor weapon. It’s not a reinvention of the melodic house wheel, but it doesn’t need to be: this is an EP that knows exactly what it is and does it exceptionally well.
