Kisk’ EP Review on Bass Explorer
Giuseppe D’Alessandro, more widely known as Kisk, is poised to release his new EP “Friends” on his very own label Apparel Music on the 25th of this month, with more than a few “friends” helping lend their sound to this new 4 track release.
The EP and title track opens with some lovely atmospheric organ loops that set the desperately happy yet laid back tone of the song. Dropping a nice bass that is accompanied by interchanging yet flattering rhythm section, that sounds as if it is coming from the ride hand of a jazz drummer, pointing directly to Kisk’s own labels jazzy tendencies. The song progresses slowly, and any change in the percussion is smooth and just enough to slightly alter the dynamic of the rhythm without affecting the core groove, just as both good Jazz and good Deep House should. This paced build up allows Kisk to extract the full potential from every element that he intertwines, just as the repetition becomes noticeable the song will glide into a break down or a alteration in structure, bringing the smile back to your face and the shake back in your booty.
…This EP could have easily fallen into the trap of being 4 tracks of the same minimal down tempo house…
The next track pits Kisk with Undeep for another slow paced groove that begins with a deep, funky, booming bass beat that at its core is enough to satisfy a packed dance-floor. These 2 experienced producers clearly recognise this and use it to its full potential, only ever hinting at bringing another element to the spotlight with soft synth stabs and various chopped pads providing the backdrop for the infectious boom that begins and remains in the forefront of the song for its duration.
“2 Freinds” features Accatone alongside Kisk, letting go of the sample heavy Jazz vibes of the first half, swapping it for a more club orientated techno sound. As the track begins to grow however this pounding club beat gets lost in a sea of ethereal pads and bell chimes, although these elements add a strong and somewhat uplifting atmosphere to the song the extended chimes and pad notes take away all sense of rhythm to the song as they are put at the forefront. With the addition of some form of bassline or some advancement of the drums these would serve an an effective and pretty high end to the track, however these elements are lacking and the song becomes a slightly whiny track that doesn’t make you want to dance as much as it does cry.
See also: Kisk talks Friends EP, Apparel Music and releasing on vinyl
Last but definitely not least comes Anton Kubikov’s Closer Friends Remix of the title track which brings an instantly more techy bassline, contrasting with the originals organic sounds. As the heavily affected organ loop begins to fade in this theme continues, with an eery digital voice over and the addition of noticeably digital percussion. The song then drops into a original piano riff, simple and melancholic, but creating a sharply contrasting vibe to its predecessor. After the initial introduction of this new element, it drops back into the familiar section only to amalgamate the 2 sections and apply the more minor, moodier expression to the original elements.
This EP could have easily fallen into the trap of being 4 tracks of the same minimal down tempo house that radiates from art colleges around the country, however the contrasting halves of the record effectively explore a more eclectic palette of dance music and eradicate any risk of Kisk appearing to be a one trick pony. The first 2 tracks stand out from the rest of the EP, showing Kisk flex his well toned jazzy deep house muscle, yet the second half show an ambition beyond the safety of what he knows he good at.
Words by Ben Stevens