This is Tokyo producer Kawatin’s first album for Ricochet, and it’s the sound of a producer willing to experiment. There are some very dark colours here but it’s by no means a downbeat listen, for in the dark rumblings and the widescreen cityscapes there is much to admire. ‘Sleep Talker’ is perhaps the most immediately thrilling, with a mixture of a curious stillness and a volley of breakbeats, but the rolling beats of ‘HEY’ and the airy textures of ‘Trick Of The Light’ are a good indication of how Kawatin can bring extremes together. There is a conviction and confidence about his writing that means each musical move is somehow inevitable, and you can’t help thinking that with this approach we will be hearing plenty more from Kawatin in the near future.
4 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
