English producer Ross From Friends is, for better or worse, a product of the internet. He partially owes his star to the online, coming out of the rough-around-the-edges “lo-fi” house scene and quickly becoming one of its biggest and most lasting faces. However, with the energy surrounding that nebulous sub-genre greatly slowing in recent years as house music has bled into the mainstream, so too have we seen the stream of his releases become metered. A sole single in 2023 was everything in the recent catalog, until a new alias appeared in the Ross From Friends outbox. That title just fully introduced itself with the release of a self-titled debut album, “Bubble Love.”
A Colorful, Dancey Shift For The English Producer As “Bubble Love”
The record starts with “<3 <3,” built around bells and steel pans that immediately communicate how different this is from Ross From Friends’ work. We’ll save you some of the inside baseball, but it’s impossible to truly see the differences between these two associated projects without a familiarity with the former. (Switch on any of his tracks from that 2016-2021 period and you’ll get a preliminary sense). Put simply, the DIY trappings of the previous project are gone entirely, instead embracing more mainstream house acts that took over in the time since Felix Weatherall founded Ross From Friends and himself hit the apex of the house scene. The longing, somber female lead vocals harken to acts like Overmono, additionally reinforced with scattered Caribbean flips that meander in the background.
Double Caper embraces a more tender, retro funk sound. “I’ll be right by your side,” the central refrain, hits on some of the more luxurious Fred Again.. cuts. However, a simple drum track that connects to house anthems of old connects to the Ross From Friends discography and showcases the bonafides he carved out during that time are still alive, even if they’re flipped, reimagined and reversed for Bubble Love.
“Love” and “Hate” introduce breakbeat production, a further indication that Weatherall intends this LP for wider audiences. However, long-time devotees can note how Ross From Friends’ previous work maintained sentimental, almost wistful undercurrents. While things venture into a more lush, vibrant direction, that same nostalgic, sentimental backdrop still paces “Bubble Love,” and this stately emotional two-pack is clear proof of that.
Where This Fresh Alias Could Go In The Future
“Faceless” and “Believe” really allow Bubble Love to hit its stride, tapping into ’80s vocals, synths and pads. The “memories, these memories, haunting me” melodies are undeniable, while the nu-disco grooves from “Believe” are impossible not to bob your head to. One final marker is “Ugly,” a dip towards early 2000s R&B with some screeching horns and a chiptune melody. Arpeggiating keys towards the end elucidate how far we’re seeing Ross From Friends spread his influences for Bubble Love, as they flirt with neo-psychedelia a la Tame Impala.
Though for fans of Ross From Friends, this more chipper direction may take some adjusting to, there’s no denying that the Bubble Love alias is more well-suited for the current electronic moment, and Felix Weatherall is better able to spread his wings and palette under the newer pseudonym. While the record may have benefitted from a bit of a finer point, offering up this wide platter of poppy anthems is certainly suitable, and only whets the palette for what could be coming down the pike.
Check out Bubble Love now wherever you get your music.
Elsewhere in our coverage, revisit one of the year’s best electronic albums with our coverage of Caribou – Honey.
