- Following acclaim for their frisky Spreo Superbus single on Numbers last year, London duo Kodiak take their brand of hi-octane, jukey house to DJ Haus' new label project. I'm not sure what Mark Jonathan Rutherford and Jamie Kingett put in their tea, but a scintillating energy radiates from their music. On "Egyptian Kings" that comes from what sounds like a maniacal take on both the Jungle Brothers' "I'll House You" and Rob Base and DJ EZ-Rock's "It Takes Two." Kodiak then stir in screaming female vocals, a searing Shepard tone and crashing percussion. It twitches and jerks like it's suffering from a bout of St Vitus Dance.
While it scoots along at footwork pace for much of its duration, "Dragon Drop" is less frantic, although it still pulses with youthful brio. A vocal sample is slowed to a slur before being ramped up to breakneck speed, while Daft Punk-style arps rise to the surface midway through, all tied together by an uplifting quick-quick-slow rhythm. There's more than a hint of Machinedrum about it, which is no bad thing. Eliphino's remix turns the track into whip-cracking house without losing the original's pizazz. Founded on a dirty low-end bass throb, hi-NRG handclaps and sirens, it cleverly maintains the EP's feverish intensity.
Tracklist A1 Dragon Drop
A2 Dragon Drop (Eliphino Remix)
B Egyptian Kings