Eighteenth Street Lounge family member Desmond Williams' EP preceding his upcoming Delights of the Garden LP finds the Washington, D.C.-based producer expertly weaving grooves musically well-aligned with his label contemporaries. After backing up acclaimed dub artist Scientist and manning the knobs for other ESL releases, including the Thievery Corporation's The Mirror Conspiracy and Thunderball's Scorpio Rising, Cocoa produces a perfect amalgamation of dub, funk, hip-hop, and Latin bachelor-pad styles. Dreamy, multi-layered soul pours over airtight grooves and sophisticated beats suited for both the dancefloor and the headphone, as Williams creates a production style fitting aesthetically between Nicola Conte, Madlib, and Bill Laswell. The A-side begins with "First Touch," a sexy track featuring Brazilian-influenced vocalist Portia Christina Joo. "Zen Zen Tao" brings out a more prominent dub attack, with a warm bassline (by Williams) complimented by a gigantic drumbeat and spacey guitars (also by Williams). The B-side's "Cocoa" is a layering masterpiece with vocals by Mustafa and additional drumming by Patrick Mucklow. With the title track being the only song present on the full-length, Cocoa is a crucial 12" that can only be described as phenomenal debut for Williams as a solo artist. ~ Nic Kincaid, All Music Guide
Tracks
Track Title
Composers
Performers
Time
First Touch
Desmond Williams
Desmond Williams
Zen Zen Tao
Desmond Williams
Desmond Williams
Cocoa
Desmond Williams
Desmond Williams
Beincarnation
Desmond Williams
Desmond Williams
Credits
Desmond Williams (Keyboards), Desmond Williams (Bass), Desmond Williams (Guitar), Mustafa (Vocals), Desmond Williams (Producer)
