Since bursting onto the scene three years ago Maroki has shaped out an emotionally-charged sound which comfortably wraps around any number of club styles. Even by his swooning, introspective standards, his new release on Ano Ano takes this idea further with guest vocalist Maeve rounding out some of his most poignant productions to date.

2021 was a tricky time to gain a foothold in club music, but Maroki’s music transcended the limitations of dance music without dancefloors thanks to his melodic strong suit, drawn from a background in classical piano and soundtrack composition. A run of acclaimed releases on labels like E-Beamz, Lost Palms and Flippen Bits cemented his arrival as he elegantly moved between light-footed breakbeat, dexterous 2-step and artfully swung house.

Through The Tooth follows a logical path from his previous appearance on Ano Ano - the 2023 EP Plastic Brain, thanks to Maroki’s innate instinct for the low-end sound craft of UK soundsystem music and the harmonic sensibility he applies to every aspect of his sound. If these six new tracks feel more inwardly focused than, say, his drop on Lobster Theremin, it’s because they were made through the surreal isolation of lockdown.

The presence of rising icon Maeve [3] on ‘Still Burning’ and ‘Bad Day In Bonus Town’ celebrates the sense of liberation that came as outside life resumed — the pair connected in the wake of Glastonbury Festival to create the final pieces of the puzzle that make up this EP. ‘Dreamer’ features additional production from Hypnøs, a close friend whose studio sits across the canal from Maroki’s in Amsterdam, and you can expect to hear more from their partnership in the coming months.

A special mention goes to the artwork for Through The Tooth, which comes from James Lacey at Pointless Illustration. A longtime friend of Maroki’s, Lacey renders the sound of the EP in dusky tones and geometric formations that call back to the bold vision of the Italian futurists — a fitting mood for the balance of retro and modernist touches contained in the music.

Exploring a more universal approach that reaches beyond the pure functionality of music for the club, Maroki taps into the idea we don’t just need beats for late nights in dark rooms. These are songs to carry with you through life, with an emotional resonance which lingers long after the final delay trails have run their course on EP closer ‘Offworld Paddy’.