Score: 8/10 – Beach vibes, bottled
Ku De Ta DJ-curator extraordinaire Jim Breese, along with Dutch decks-whizz Loco Hero deliver another sophisticated set of sunset sounds that garner the breezy, chic ambience of Seminyak’s eponymous beach club. Beamed in from all across the globe, Volume 10 once again hits the mark, and represents a sublime snapshot of the infamous Ku musical atmosphere.
Denmark’s Peter Visti kicks off Vol. 10 with the chilled instrumentals of “Passion” – the mix of Andean panpipes and Spanish guitars providing an easy entry point. The South American theme is picked up on the following track “Filhas de Oxum”, courtesy of (UK) Paul Murphy’s project “Paraíso”. The rhythmic influences drift northwards on NYC duo Male Madame’s “Sunny Saint Mark” – a track that has resonated deeply at Ku De Ta and has been a staple all summer thanks to its sunny vibes and sparkling synths. The slowly building nu-disco segues neatly into the more classic “Summer Came My Way” – a lush slice of sultry mid-tempo chill thanks to industry legend Greg Wilson.
“Shimmering Coast” from Rudy’s Midnight Machine does exactly what it says on the tin, providing the perfect soundtrack for gazing at the beach out front, while Ku favourites the Lovebirds knock out the albums standout track “Delusions” featuring a sexy yet sinister vocal turn from Japanese vocalist Minako. The knockabout fun of Beardyman’s “Mountainside” is bumped up a notch by a funky Cosmodelica remix, before up-and-coming Scottish DJ Graeme Clark adds his flair to The Revenge’s funk-shuffle “Isle of Lucy”.
Moving into the final act, “Heartbeat” is a 90s style summer groove from fast-emerging Russian producer A Vision of Panorama, followed in wonderful fashion by the Hot Toddy redux of “Something More” – originally cut by another Ku darling; Crazy P. The mood then switches, as Magic in Threes go “Beatin’ the Breaks” on a “Fouk Remix”, which injects deep jazzy-house urgency into the game plan. A Vision of Panorama pops up again; remixing Brit duo Faze Actions Afro-tribal infused hit “Mangwana” into something altogether more contemporary, before we finish up with the pulsating “Red Sky” from Chicago super-producer Moon Boots for a mesmerizing end-of-the-night anthem.
Dan Ashcroft.
Like this? Try these:
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Volume 8
More sunset sessions from Jim Breese & co.
Bonobo
The North Borders
The highpoint of Simon Green’s DJ career.
Kid Loco
Another Late Night
Eclectic mixtape courtesy of French electro-whizz.
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