For their tenth release Kiku Records make a timely return to the digital domain with a kicking two tracker from Emi Ömar. The much-loved imprint has not had an update since Alvaro Medin and Alffie’s release back in July ’21 so it was time for a re-up. Having previously shone in the now available vinyl release from Recordeep sub label Yuko Records the old school peak time house vibes get an airing on the always on point Kiku Records.
Emi is straight out of the blocks on A1 ‘Hiroki’ with a tight minimal house leaning groove that bangs from the first beat. The mystery of the main elements of the track is a closely guarded secret until the first break where that sweet old school house bassline reveals itself. This combined with some Detroit-esque synth stabs give a real old / new school hybrid that works so well. Throw in a bit of detuned and distorted synths and the pipcture is full of excellent arrangement, mixing and more vibes than you can shake a big vibey stick at. The cuts of the drums in the second drop are a great touch for keeping those energy levels at peak throughout the track.
B1 ‘Nani’ is on a similar tip bit on a tougher note. Wonky delay FX and an absolute screw face of a bassline make for an impressive package. The cosmic sound FX keep things on point off beat snares dial up the dancefloor heat even further. The clipped samples and tidy drum fills are a great addition too and when the bassline begins to morph in a more sinister direction but the musical samples dropped in edge in a little bit of light. There is no wonder that this EP has been championed by the likes of Cosmjn, Vid, Tommy Vercetti, Chklte, Vlad Arapasu, Mihai Pol, Sepp, Sublee, Pascal Benjamin, and XXX Culture.
KRD010 is now available from the Kiku Records Bandcamp
More info on Emi Ömar
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