Making a splash on the European house scene for the past five years, Matthieu Faubourg is the perfect fit to Shall Not Fade, with his hazey pieces that carry just the right amount of groove. Since his breakout hit, "Please Stay", a ten-minute deep house voyage, Faubourg has played across Europe and last year dropped his debut album replete with subtle jazz and hiphop references.

Joining the Classic Cuts series with four tracks of bliss, Aqua EP is Faubourg's first for Shall Not Fade. The title track's gently dramatic synths ease us into space age soundscapes in "Galactic". Deep proto-house grooves give this one a futuristic disco feel with plenty of high class production to go with it. "Velvet" focuses on sing-your-heart-out balladic vocals, eighties pop hit vibes which are super-listenable, while "In The Clouds" euphoric strings and subtle but deep bassline make for a blissed out instrumental closer.[info sheet from distr.]