Ghost Mutt is a young producer from Brighton. He first caught our attention a little over a year ago with a short EP out on Lowriders Recordings called Sasquatch. It was pretty short, but it certainly held promise of greater things to come. We still don’t have the full length we’re waiting on, but this short four song collection will tide us over in the mean time.

Sweat Mode seems to be built on reinventing the disco-funk of the early ‘80s. The EP opens with “Dreams Of” which takes what could have been a straight ahead dance track and chops it up, inverting song structure and rhythms while playing with slowed down vocals. He uses this to create new sounds to play against the familiar sung vocals and bass and drums and keyboards. It manages to walk the line between being both a dance track and a song that can be enjoyed intimately on headphones. “Figure You Out” is more of a traditional slow jam, although it’s use of the higher pitched female vocals on top of the chorus is reminiscent of Four Tet’s “Smile Around the Face.” “Only One” builds tension through a mix of keyboards and slowed down and distorted vocals, and keeps things interesting by never having any percussion kick in and keeping the composition short and sweet. “Sweat Mode,” the title track, is obviously the single with the widest appeal, and rightly so. It’s got a rhythm to it that works a mix of Dirty South, Dam-Funk, and Prefuse 73, with female vocals and keyboards playing off of each other. This is the song that demands the stereo be turned up.

Just like that, though, and we’re done. The EP feels like a warm up to something bigger, and I hope it comes soon. Sweat Mode gives us a glimpse at a producer with serious talent. Hopefully his next release will raise the stakes.