yoyaku proudly welcomes Pola to its AKU sub-label, adding the Kuku EP to a consistent catalog of sleek, minimal house by the likes of Janeret, Varhat, Clébert, and Molly. Kuku marks AKU’s eighth release and Pola’s third, following recent EPs on Finale Sessions and on his own All Inn Records.
The record’s title “Kuku” derives from a playful word used in Russian children’s games, not to mention its alliterative ring with the record label’s name. The two-track EP showcases Pola’s streamlined production style, wasting no time in delivering focused dance floor energy.
A rolling bass line anchors the groove of Side A’s “Triangle,” an uncompromising jam that recalls the gritty verve of early aughts techhouse. On Side B, “Survival” lifts off with an electrified tribal groove and Byzantine melodic line. In tandem, Kuku’s two tracks see Pola settling deeper into his signature sound and complementing yoyaku’s varied discography.
Pola, aka Norbert Dunai, first established the Polarize alias while building a reputation as resident DJ of Romania’s Midi Club in Cluj Napoca. In 2009, he founded All Inn Records, a vinyl-only label known for culling the brightest young artists in underground electronic music. After nearly a decade of ushering in sounds at the forefront of the scene, the Pola moniker was born as a vessel for Norbert’s work as a producer and remixer, through which he injects his own style into a musical wave he helped to inspire.
Since 2015, yoyaku has curated an impressive catalog of electronic music via its subsidiaries including AKU, Hostom, and YYY, bolstering its reputation as a premier artist agency, record shop, and distributor.
Release date: 22 November 2017
Mastered by: Vincent at yyStudio
Distributed via: yoyaku
Words by Brian Parker
Ricardo Villalobos playing Triangle
