Founded by two like-minded DJs hosting house parties in the smokey living rooms of Leeds, Easy Does It is a new club night that spotlights both fledgeling DJs and heavyweight party starters in the city. The party collective were set to celebrate their second public event after a successful debut at Old Red Bus Station in February. When their plans were halted by the pandemic, they decided to utilise the Easy Does It venture to connect Leeds producers in support of NHS workers. Featuring an eclectic assortment of both emerging and established producers across the electronic spectrum, Easy Does It have curated an impressive 24-track compilation to raise funds for Leeds Cares, the official charity partner of Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Contributors include Love Muscle resident and Peach Discs alumni Chekov, KMAH and Threads Radio regulars Sah., Equaliser resident Carlos, Rinse FM regular SAYANG, Permahigh Records founder Mike Drones as well as Easy Does It’s own DJ Double Oh!.
"While we don’t want to uphold the idea the NHS should be treated as a charity...We thought [this] would be a good way to bring people together and try and help in a situation that feels very helpless."
Alfred opens the compilation with an interstellar motif that prepares the listener for a journey into the soundscapes of the North’s vibrant emerging producers. With an almost seamless transition, Mike Drones & Enobe steer the mood with their offering of deep drum synths and cosmic sounds, escalating towards Nahi Sabhera’s visceral off-kilter track that ups the pace for the rest of the compilation.
phazma supplies the adrenaline with footwork beats on a velveteen bed of modulating synths. This offering captures the overall feel of the compilation: the project creates a temporal zone of its own as it weaves though distinct yet similar soundscapes, each track showcasing the unique style of their producers. Onri’s ‘Bootleg Doja Cat’ injects a guilty pleasure with a stellar tongue-in-cheek remix of Doja Cat’s ‘Say So’, before the compilation culminating with Sah. ft Team Picture. The twin producers from Bradford harness their signature mix of live beats and deep cuts to supply a powerful, thumping track featuring Leeds dream-pop stalwarts Team Picture.
The twins’ production also features on jellyskin’s track ‘I Was The First Tetrapod’, a lyrical track weaved with apocalyptic punching beats and galactic synths. This track also featured on NP001 and has become a highlight of the two-piece’s live set.
T.C Young provides a calming mid-album sedative with the aptly titled ‘Snow Country’ before SAYANG brings you back to your feet. With meandering synths, pumping hi-hats and an all-encompassing beat, this track pushes you into the depths before pulling you out and rinsing you dry. Speaking of the compilation, Easy Does It organisers Emilio and Leo said, “We thought it would be a good way to bring people together and try and help in a situation that feels very helpless. While we don’t want to uphold the idea the NHS should be viewed and treated as a charity, but after years of under-funding and the lack of PPE provided to frontline workers during the crisis, we wanted to contribute in whatever way we could.” Care Package is a showcase of some of the finest electronic sounds emerging from the city. It’s a taste of Leeds’ unparalleled DIY party culture and electronic potential. Listen to Care Package on Bandcamp: https://itdoeseasy.bandcamp.com/ All profits will be donated to Leeds Cares
Meg Firth