- London's Sam KDC has shown again and again that he has a knack for poignant melodies. As such, he's a natural fit for ASC's Symbol series, which encourages drum & bass producers to stretch their legs out a bit. Though the two meatier tracks on KDC's second Symbol entry are by definition drum & bass, they're ruled more by their blurry but evocative backdrops than their kick drums.
KDC's work often toes the line between saccharine and genuinely moving, and he's never been closer to the precipice than "Symbol #8.1." The eight minute track has a smooth digital pulse not unlike an EKG machine, gently dusted with cascading pianos and heart-tugging violins. Yes, violins. Somehow, the track's glacial cruise cushions the impact of such obvious devices, and the interplay of the track's plasticky percussion with the chromed string surfaces is interesting enough. It might still be a bit hard to swallow for some, but the three-minute ambient interlude "8.2"—a playground of sampled textures—should help to distract. The third (and even longer) track fares better, with chords that ebb and flow like the tides.
Tracklist A1 Symbol #8.1
A2 Symbol #8.2
B Symbol #8.3