Kyodai At Juno Download

Review: Not content with releasing records that pay homage to the sounds of the '90s, Local Talk bosses Mad Mats and Tooli have now signed a tune made by a production act that were last heard of in the '90s (well, 1999). "Breaking", then, is the first Kyodai record for nearly 13 years. It sounds like it was made back then, offering a smooth, piano-laden fusion of alien synths, shuffling beats and cut-up vocal stabs. It's tasty, but the real fun is to be had on the "90s Mix" and "90s Dub", both of which up the organ count in a tribute to mid-'90s New Jersey garage.

Review: Sliding straight back to Local Talk after the runaway success of the Breaking release, Kyodai brings his broad vision of modern house music to the fore once again. "The Scene" is the breezier of the two tracks on this latest release, working around a dominant piano hook and an ever rising swell of synths and strings. It's a track custom built for the summer months, whereas "Moving (Breaking Part 2)" could slot in nicely just about anywhere. On a broken beat roll and jazzy chords, a simmering floor burner is born, capped off with a choice vocal hook and an unrelenting groove.

Review: The work of shadowy Japanese producer Kyodai, Never Know is more off the wall than usual Poker Flat releases. "Always", with its deep and dramatic building chords and tight claps, is similar to the direction that most of the releases on Steve Bug's label follow. However, "Hate Me Now" is radically different, with dense drums, a filtered disco loop and a vocal intoning 'have your turn' dominating. The title track shows that Kyodai is willing to take chances and its loose drummy groove houses a brooding, menacing bass and a bugged out vocal sample, the sum total sounding like a combination of Reese and St Germain.