Imanbek, Trevor Daniel – In The Morning

• Excellent vocal act from Trevor Daniel
• Minimal, predictable segments
• Nostalgic feeling from the instrumental

There’s a valid reason why the Kazakh alias Imanbek is regarded as one of the ‘godfathers’ of Slap House, a genre that has gone trending for a solid part of recent years, although (finally?) simmering down somewhat. I mentioned finally since it’s that transitional moment where most unproductive acts that jumped onto this bandwagon have started departing, leaving the ‘creative’ ones to not get bundled with other generic attempts.

In the case of “In The Morning”, there isn’t a lot happening but oh, was it entertaining! Imanbek picked up a stunning vocal from Trevor Daniel (“Falling”, “Story”, “Alone”) and made up a simpler structure in an expected style. Everything is stripped down and there isn’t a shadow of a surprise tactic here, nevertheless, the overall result impressed me for how well it is composed. The record embraces a nostalgic and calmer vibe, thanks to its old-school lead and of course, the clean and bouncy bassline.

Imanbek also integrated a brief trap sequence, which doesn’t come off as unconventional, but a little disruption that I eventually enjoyed.

Trevor Daniel is the absolute star here, as his voice shines so well that I immediately had to put it on repeat for understanding its secret better. There’s much elegance, suiting with the effective base created by the said producer.

Although “In The Morning” is a tad subdued by its simplicity and probably won’t end up being a hit, the quality is still there and the excellent vocal delivery stands out.

You can listen to “In The Morning” here:

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