Eric Prydz has found himself in the favor of dance music’s more discerning fans over the past couple of years. In a movement away from the main stage appeal of his earlier discography, the progressive house favorite has traded big drops and hard kicks for contemplative arpeggios and long, seemingly eternal grooves, cementing himself as one of the genre’s greats in the process.
However, the tracks on his new Pryda Volume 1 EP don’t quite measure up to the rest of his recent material. The EP starts on a strange note with “Rebel XX,” which, while not as completely soulless as a lot of what passes for progressive house nowadays, sounds a lot like something that, say, Sander Van Doorn would put out.
“Run” is a bit better, but with a similarly aggressive tone. Thankfully, “Loving You” and “Neuron” return to the sound we’ve come to expect from Prydz: A dive into the furthest depths of the rabbit hole that is house music.
Seeing as how much of what Prydz is releasing in the three EPs leading up to his October album is material from the the period between 2004 and 2014, perhaps it’s a little harsh to judge him based on his previous creative direction. As such, we still look forward to his forthcoming releases over the coming months – especially the album itself.
Give Eric Prydz‘s new tracks on Pryda Volume 1 a listen below and let us know what you think in the comments section.