Kohib & Kahuun - EP2 (Beatservice Records)
Phase two of the Bergen-Tromsø house alliance! For the second time on Beatservice Records, Kahuun and Kohib – two beardy and nice chaps – have put their heads together to collaborate, but not as a duo as one would expect. It's the same procedure as their first shared EP: one track each, and then a remix of each other's respective track.
Kahuun is a part of the electronic scene in Bergen. He released his debut EP in 1999 on Paper Recordings, and has released a string of EPs on various labels. His early tracks were in a jazzy broken-beat style, but lately he's been leaning more towards four-on-the-floor house and techno. "Sangefjell" is a potent four-on-the-floor groover, complete with a solid bass foundation, layers of percussive elements, and a rising 303-ish filtered synth line. After hours night club funk, indeed.
Kohib is an important member of the Tromsø electronic music scene, equally as a club organizer, DJ, and producer. His debut was on the Prima Norsk 3 compilation in 2005, followed by an album, a remix-album, and a string of highly regarded EPs and digital singles. Kohib's contribution, with the un-Norwegian title of "Pittsburgh", moodily moves through synthesizer swells and pulsations as reverbed percussion and stereo effects populate its sonic space. The tension is eased by a pleasant, almost theremin-like lead line.
The remixes are playful reinterpretations, with Kohib accentuating the funkiness of "Sangefjell" through heavy hand claps, a tighter entwining of the bass and 303 lines, and a dreamy vocal phrase. This one's got maximum boogie appeal. Not to be outdone, Kahuun surprises with a tough drum n' bass rendition of "Pittsburgh". More than half the track is taken up by its intro – which, upon listening, seems the perfect length – before the breakbeats come in over the throbbing bass and swirling, melodic psychedelia. It's a brilliant cap to this EP, and shows how these two producers continue to inspire each other in wonderful, off-beat ways.
Larry Tee - "I'm loving this!" Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "So good!" Flash Atkins (Paper Recordings / Into The Valley) - "The two handsomest men in Norway deliver four damn fine cuts." Sleazy McQueen (Whiskey Disco) - "Icy techno!" Hardway Bros (A Love From Outer Space) - "Great stuff!" Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "I love the build on 'Sangefjell' … in fact both originals are tickling me in all the right places." Anthony Mansfield (Roam Recordings / Hector Works) - "Deep and chuggin' … this is my jam!" Atish (Desert Hearts / Robot Heart) - "Nice subtle acid touches on 'Sangefjell'." Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Superb vibes. It's really tough to choose just one … all four cuts are sonic joys!" Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle / Strange Days) - "I'm really feeling both original versions and loving the retro vibes of the Kohib remix. Looking forward to playing these out." ROBOT84 (Paper Recordings / Under No Illusion) - "Oh, yes. Superb." DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing Radio Show) - "So groovy and complex … I could listen to this all night." Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "Awesome again from these techno futurists … lethal!"
Available now from Bandcamp, Beatport, Juno Download, iTunes, and Spotify.
