Kez YM: Butterfly EP
Yore

Kez YM's follow-up to his maiden Yore EP, City Soul, opts for a slightly more pronounced party vibe, as evidenced by the plenitude of voices that repeatedly pop up during Butterfly's four deep house tracks. The material sounds at times as if Japanese producer Kazuki Yamaguchi played the new material at a house party, recorded the crowd noise that surfaced while doing so, and then added the sounds to the tracks to strengthen the cuts' clubby spirit. Propelled by a beautifully warm and soulful bass pulse, “Inner City Funk” grooves mightily for five blissful minutes, its rhythm bolstered by the crisp snap of the snare, the funky wah-wah of an electric guitar, and the occasional interjection of a synthesizer melody. Initially reminiscent of Portable/Bodycode in the dreamlike melody that wavers throughout, “Bridge to Bridge” quickly charts its own percolating course with the addition of a stepping disco-house pulse and a male voice's sleepy, off-handed musings. Bringing the lights down for a romantic make-out session, the sexy “Low Tide” chills the pace slightly so that spent dancers can catch their breath and replenish themselves before the next go-round. Of the four tracks, the title cut grooves most powerfully in merging a rambunctious broken beat drum attack with an equally driving bass line and manic electric guitar soloing. For maximum impact, play these jams loud.

November 2009