Rampa - MOD
David Mayer - Smoke
&ME - Birdland
Adam Port - Place
Five years of Keinemusik. Workparty Number Five. The twentyFIFTH KM release in total. Release subsequent to the FIVE labeltour. Before anybody could come to the conclusion, there might be higher powers or math pro’s involved in this, check out this information: on the release, as it has been with all the previous Workparty joint ventures of the Keinemusik collective, you’ll find four cuts. Contributors are again: Rampa, David Mayer, &ME and Adam Port. Using the anniversary as an opportunity, the tracks have been spread over two vinyls for the first time and – as another premiere – wrapped into a gatefold cover, amazingly decorated by the artwork of Monja Gentschow.
Leading us into the ring is Rampa’s “Mod” on A. A crossing of analogue and digital methods, recommending this piece as the unmistakable floor offensive within the batch. Realizing how percussive slaps and the central synth-motif are escalating in call and response, it seems obvious that “Mod” is not to be taken as the shortcut for ‘moderate’ in this case.
David Mayer’s “Smoke” on B is going for a dry and percussive approach itself, although executed in his typical signature sound – intent on the details and all about the subtlety. “Smoke” is a genuine grower. Crackling and rolling in seductive coolness and puffing one or another ganja-cloudlet into the air.
Yet more percussive spleens to be found on C, when &ME is unrolling his “Birdland”. Compared to the two predecessors, he is opening up to a pronounced songwriting architecture and almost tenderly implemented analogue elements like bass runs and piano chords, that are dramatizing this piece until it is consolidating to an impelling floor-affair.
For the grand finale, Adam Port is getting the legendary Stereo MCs on his side. Just for Rob Birch’s vocals, “Place” has to be seen as the most anthemic moment of this EP. But Port’s sensitive instrumentation, all the deep sentiments within the beat and the effective sparing of the bigger gestures, are doing their bits to help shaping this one to be a foreseeable classic for the emotional peeks on a dancefloor.