Joss – Solely – (Artreform)

Ukrainian producer Joss first came to our attention recently thanks to his work at his own Artreform label, where he regularly unleashes top quality house and techno alongside some of the scene’s foremost names. And on his latest, Vostok, he successfully turns up the heat with an ominous tech-house workout that’s tailor-made for the night’s darker and more deranged moments.

The original offers an early case in point. A groover of some distinction, its bottom end is hollowed out by a slew of shuffling percussion and a distinctive melody line that brings a real sense of poignancy to the table. By the time the intensity is racked up a notch, its really got us moving, making it the prime sort of track for David Keno to remix. Keno himself has been in fine fettle of late, and his remix is a considered take on the original. Fuelled by emotive chords and enchanting acid lines, it sticks to the script but does so in a manner that’s entirely in keeping with his own likeness for similar tropes. The EP is then rounded off with Joss’ digital only offering, INHM’, a track that’s memorable for its gushing pads and synth washed tropes especially. Fine work here from the Artreform posse.

4 out of 5

Reviewed by Ian Fleming