Bok Bok & Tom Trago - Night Voyage Tool Kit II

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  • Bok Bok, purveyor of rowdy, fearsomely hybrid London music; Tom Trago, proponent of Amsterdam's sensuous house sound. They seem like an unlikely pairing. But pair they did, circa 2011, for the Night Voyage Tool Kit, a six-tracker exploring the interzone between ghetto house, chrome-plated electro and vintage Chicago jack tracks. The productions were neatly executed—you could hardly expect any less from such experienced artists—but they had a tendency to sound a bit toy-like, simple assemblages that lacked either the intensity or the sophistication to leave a lasting impression. That record's sequel gathers a trio of singles released on the pair's Night Voyage label in recent months. The aim—to provide "next level DJ tools"—remains the same, as do some of the problems. Things start on a high with "Get Me What You Want," which lopes along nonchalantly, a few wisps of flute-like synth dusted here and there, before clouting you round the ear with a chord stab or three. It's simple but extremely stylish, proving that the premise of the project is perfectly sound. "Silent G. Safari" isn't bad either, an itchy jack track primed to inject a bit of angst into the dance floor. But elsewhere the pair's execution lets them down. Both "Pussy Trak," the obligatory ghetto house number, and the Baltimore-tinged "Hole Driller 3" are far too sluggish and flat-sounding to carry their bold ideas. The odd one out is techno closer "Need This," whose sultriness is its strength rather than its weakness. Two radically different mixes are supplied: the "12" Dub" takes the prize, mainly thanks to the thoughtful synth work meandering across the mix, as if Trago snuck a fader up to capture Bok's idle noodlings.
  • Tracklist
      01. Get Me What You Want 02. Pussy Trak 03. Silent G. Safari 04. Hole Driller 3 05. Need This (Radio Mix) 06. Need This (12" Dub)
RA