Commercial success within the electro/dance scene depends on a DJ’s ability to span generational limitations by providing a less genre-specific sound. Unfortunately, this often leads to a bland rehashing of consistently overdone styles and musical themes. How many times can a producer sample Etta James’s “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” (which has essentially been forever boiled down to “Sometimes I get a good feeling”) until financial gains disappear? The answer, overwhelmingly and unfortunately, is “never.” This being the case, how can one explain Disclosure’s widespread fame?
Settle, the Surrey duo’s major label debut, confounds electronic purists. The record’s simple formula — amalgamating popular UK dance sounds — should conceivably result in a soon-to-be forgotten LP. Yet, Howard and Guy Lawrence perfected pop-electronica that resonates with Billboard 200-devotees and grime/two-step garage enthusiasts. Settle is laden with so many opportunities for enjoyment that even dance’s harshest critics can find tracks like “Latch” and “Voices” aesthetically pleasing. It’s as much a party anthem as it is a celebration of the UK’s more hidden sounds and is truly 2013’s best electronically-focused album.
“Apollo” is the group’s first official single post-Settle, but it’s a continuation of the brothers’ distinct production rather than a B-side cut. It wobbles like a codeine-filled Gucci Mane but its drums kick to the dance-club aesthetic. Unlike many tracks on Settle, “Apollo” doesn’t have any prominent features, utilizing indecipherable vocal samples instead to summon a post-dubstep feeling. It’s clearly a directional shift but knowing Disclosure’s concerted approach to production, this can only bode well for the up-and-coming duo.