Surkin - Next Of Kin EP

  • Share
  • In his recent mini-mix for French blog Corporate Bloggin, Surkin unveiled a new approach to dance music, which is essentially concerned with a '90s sound. The mix had a definite old school vibe, filled with piano led tracks and blissful house beats. The approach continues on this, his third EP. Previous Surkin efforts such as his remix of Para One's 'Midnight Swim' or Yuksek's 'Composer' fell a little flat after the two-minute mark, but this EP lays those concerns to rest. It kicks off with 'White Night Two', an upbeat disco house track with a killer vocal and sweeping strings reminiscent of Ten City's 90's 'Devotion' – a clever balance between the old and the new, matching razor-sharp samples to uplifting vocals. It's the standout track here. 'Kid Gloves' has a more recognizably 'Ed Banger' sound and a harder-edged beat, and as such it could be easily confused for a Busy P, Feadz or Oizo single. It has a well-worked SebastiAn-esque build halfway through, but ends up a little disappointing when it doesn't drop at all. It might work dropped into another track in the clubs, but for home listeners it's all tease and no action. The title track 'Next of Kin' is in a similar vein to 'White Night Two', but slows the pace to a blissed-out plod. With more than just a dash of Simian Mobile Disco's 'I Believe', it doesn't have enough of its own character to stand apart. The EP finishes off with the Todd Edwards remix of 'Next of Kin'. Instead of the laid back march of the original, it’s much more upbeat, featuring a light, floaty midrange built from synthesized woodwind instruments. With a playful bassline and classic house beat, it is difficult not to like this track but it doesn't evoke the same kind of interest that the original tracks do.
  • Tracklist
      A1 White Night Two A2 Kid Gloves B1 Next Of Kin B2 Next Of Kin (Todd Edwards’ Re-Kindled Mix)
RA