- Kompakt offshoot, K2, has already reached its tenth release in less than a year and to celebrate their first little milestone, the label has returned to the artist who also produced their first release – newcomer Steadycam. The result is ‘Knock-Kneed’ – two pretty solid workouts that fit well within the Kompakt aesthetic.
The A side, 'Knock-Kneed', is a fun number full of Cologne-charm. A bouncy bassline drives this track, with hats and snares quickly getting it ticking over. The clean, simple production already gives this a bit of an old-school feel and this is amplified by the trance-esque melody that arrives a couple of minutes in. It builds and kicks well, but once the bass has been reintroduced, it fails to develop any further and ends up petering out slowly.
On the flip we find a slower, more relaxed number. If the title track is all about peaktime, the B side is definitely meant for the following day, when memories of the night before are still reverberating around your tired and sore head. This has similar structures and patterns to ‘Knock-Kneed’ but is made for different purposes. Driven by a more relaxed dub bassline that fizzles away, 'Rotums Kanoner' is a number that rolls along rather nicely. It is reminiscent of some of Thomas Fehlmann’s work but perhaps lacks quite the same level of depth. Much like the A side, this is an enjoyable record but is perhaps lacking that extra something.
This EP by Steadycam is really likeable, but neither cut is quite there. The production is clean and solid but both tracks could do with a bit more development. Neither really go anywhere particularly new or exciting. You are left with a smile on your face, but thinking, 'Haven’t I heard this before?'.