After two and a half years with nothing but singles, an EP was the last thing I expected Direct to release. Despite my doubts, however, the American producer/recording artist pushed out a surprisingly well-thought-out project Trust in Me on Wednesday.
Though he was originally picked up by Monstercat for his heavy chiptune dubstep sound (seen in tracks like “Saga” and his debut “Free My World”), Direct has since become better known as one of the label’s leading chillout producers, and one of the only ones even touching future garage.
The Trust in Me EP went against everything major labels teach in terms of how it was promoted and released. While most album and EP pre-orders are accompanied by crazy pop singles to build up hype for release day, Trust in Me‘s lead single was the soft-spoken “Anticipation.” If you’re expecting house bangers like “Entropy” (Direct’s second collaboration with Mr FijiWiji), you’re going to be severely disappointed. 
Even this EP’s Mr FijiWiji collaboration isn’t nearly as energetic as you might expect, nor does it sound a lot like their last song together “Time to Say Goodbye.” It’s a euphoric, vocal-heavy future garage track led by Holly Drummond, a vocalist that is frequently paired with Direct (this is their third song together). Needless to say, this gorgeous vocal-chop-filled piece is my favorite on the EP.
Sadly, a large chunk of this EP almost falls flat due to a lack of vocal guests following the first track. Luckily, Direct makes up for the emptiness with absolutely stellar sound design throughout most of the instrumental tracks. This is especially evident on “One Step Forward,” the EP’s closer. Among countless creative samples and soft piano lines is the subtle crackle of a vinyl record, closing the EP off with an intensely warm tone.
Listen to Trust in Me, buy the EP and rate it yourself below:
Support on iTunes: monster.cat/2ctY1i7
Support on Bandcamp: monster.cat/2ctTcsp
