- Open-minded, unpretentious and diverse in its output, Wave Music is a bit like a meandering DJ set from label boss Francois K. It's an imprint that relies on his wealth of dance music knowledge and his perceptive ear for new ideas. Kosta Athanassiadis, AKA XDB, is hardly a newcomer to Kevorkian, though. Athanassiadis has already made a brief appearance on Kevorkian's Deep Space label with typically heavy dub business.
Lost Tapes EP savours those dub elements, but is cleaner, more forward-looking. "Gate," for instance, immediately submerges you. Gorgeous ethereal pads wash over spikey stabs—which work together to create dense textures. Sticky and smooth, there is a very organic, live feeling to "Gate." It's honest and personal—all in the timings. A tight classic synth squelch drives "Lost," while Kosta has fun with his heavily delayed keys, which do well to playfully disorient the listener by adding some serious elasticity to the groove.
"Sense" is another playful offering; the analogue style kit is used very simply and Kosta blasts a short loop through every filter his fingers can reach. Again it has a very personal, organic feel to it, but is it achieving anything? I don't think so, it sounds like an interval, which I would rather hear him do in a live set than on plastic. "My Secret Garden" saves things: It's short melody is painstakingly tweaked to give six minutes of melodic bliss, tones which will stay in your head long after it's finished playing.
Tracklist A1 Gate
A2 Lost
B1 Sense
B2 My Secret Garden