- Running Back are on fire. Thus far in 2011, Gerd Janson's label has provided one of the year's most-played EPs—Todd Terje's Ragysh—and armed DJs everywhere with Tiger & Woods' Through the Green. Now it's American Suzanne Kraft, with four tracks that could have been made by the aforementioned mysterious duo themselves. "Morning Come" leads off, seesawing between a silky vocal snippet and ethereal chord stab. Their suave tug-of-war is offset by an obese bassline, which waddles merrily underneath. Apart from some spacey blips here and there, that's pretty much it. It's one of those tunes that's so well-stitched that even its most basic sections manage to delight. For "Turning," Kraft favours a more driving beat, dropping the chubby string plucks. This time the snappy vocal sample is introduced a little later on. At first only a few syllables are heard, with more and more revealed as things stretch towards a noodly breakdown. Here Kraft gets more musical, stacking cheeky synths all over the place to make a joyous orchestra.
The title track gets more space to breathe than its compatriots. With the clap heavily reverbed, it has a certain vastness. Its structure reflects this too, moving to a long, slow crescendo in seven minutes. Last, "Femme Cosmic" feels touched by the Chemical Brothers' "Star Guitar," with a filter shimmying its way up and down the scale. Again the breakdown is used for expansion rather than reflection, with curt snares and faux-acid gurgles sandwiching bright synth work. It's a fitting conclusion to the EP, with Kraft proving he (not she, apparently) is much more than just a few borrowed loops thrown together.
TracklistA1 Morning Come
A2 Turning
B1 Green Flash
B2 Femme Cosmic