Leftfield pop project das SPEZIAL mints its second EP with the drum talents of Radiohead’s Clive Deamer and remixes from experimental icon Matthew Herbert and Italian house innovator Fango.

das SPEZIAL is an art project rooted in collaboration, driven by British-Iranian producer Shahab Notghi’s endless search for the fiercest talent, from unknown singers to world-renowned mixing engineers, all with the aim of creating spellbinding, experimentally-minded sound and vision.

The second record in the KIDS series introduces Taya Michington, a precociously talented singer-songwriter plunged into the psychedelic, technicolour SPEZIAL sound-world. After raw, improvised songwriting sessions, SPEZIAL spearhead Shahab Notghi built up wild sonic tapestries drawn from modular synthesis and experimental signal chains around Michington’s voice.

Echoing the process on past SPEZIAL projects, the additional collaborators are an essential piece of the puzzle. The tracks on KIDS#2 grew in stature with the multi-instrumental intervention from regular collaborator Stew Jackson (Massive Attack, Phantom Limb) and the addition of celebrated drummer Clive Deamer to the SPEZIAL constellation. Having previously recorded and toured with the likes of Radiohead, Portishead, Robert Plant and Roni Size, Deamer’s distinct percussive touch deepens the rhythmic drive of KIDS#2

Building on the striking sound of Daniel Avery’s remix on KIDS#1, for the second chapter pioneering UK producer Matthew Herbert lends his unmistakable touch to ‘I Had A Dream’, a club-minded flip of ‘What Does It Mean’. In the wake of his widely acclaimed 2023 album The Horse, Herbert responds to SPEZIAL’s curious spirit by drawing on his peerless legacy of non-conformist house music with a show-stopping dancefloor version.

Alongside Herbert’s remix comes a version of ‘I Had A Dream’ from celebrated Venetian DJ and producer Fango. The Degustibus Music boss has a fascinating, wayward approach to 4/4 himself, and his interpretation comes on as dramatic electronica splashed with grandiose synth-pop sensibilities and a finely tuned balance between tension and release.

As the net gets thrown wider and more singular talents feed into the project, das SPEZIAL continues to be an incubator for visionary artistry and unbridled adventures in sound.