- Otherworldly deep house that toys with convention.
- Tracks that move between a range of moods can have a big impact on a dance floor. More common in the '90s, dramatic switch-ups halfway through a tune can inject an extra dose of energy into a DJ set, as long as the producer has done it right. The effect can be powerful, leaving listeners in awe of a quick transition until they realise the original tune hasn't stopped playing.
The new EP from Toma Kami, the latest newcomer on Livity Sound, might create a few of those moments. Sharp Tool In The Shed / Land Of The Insane's A-side is an exercise in clever arrangement, building from a nimble drum track to star-gazing synth jam over a dazzling six minutes. The opening section is heady and percussive, a snaking, syncopated beat laced with hand drums that wouldn't sound out of place in a Luciano set. But then blasts of cosmic synth arrive, the beat snapping to a simpler groove. It's a gutsy track that will take a gutsy DJ to beatmatch, but DJs up for the challenge will be rewarded when the melody hits.
"Land Of The Insane" is a more straightforward trip. It moves with the lazy swagger of stoned deep house, but there's not much groove to hold onto. It's pure warm-up music, a cascade of bleeps, chords and pads to wash over an empty dance floor. Once again, Livity Sound has unearthed a talented producer unafraid to look beyond convention.
TracklistA Sharp Tool In The Shed
B Land Of The Insane