- German producer Mechatok may only be 19 years old, but he's already on his second EP and DJing all over Europe. Originally from Munich, he now lives in Berlin, and you can see him play regularly at the city's Trade party. But his real crew affiliations are Stockholm's Staycore, the label releasing See Thru, and London's Bala Club. The latter—founded by Kamixlo and Uli K—feels particularly relevant, as you're most likely to have heard Mechatok's productions on either Bala Club's Bala Comp Vol. 1 compilation or Uli K's Elusivo EP.
All of Mechatok's Bala Club tracks also feature Uli K on vocals, so See Thru's five instrumentals can initially sound a little bare. Thematically, they pick up where Elusivo left off. As he develops this sound, which orbits pop and R&B, Mechatok moves away from his old trap-inspired beats towards something that works in a club but feels more sensitive and melodic than many of his peers. In fact, one of the best things about Mechatok is the way he embraces softness, like the synth strings in opener "Toke" or the padded chords of "Linked." Sounds of glass are more likely to sound like chimes—as heard in the title track or "Placer"—than shattering foley effects. It's a welcome escape from the sonic signifiers of the scene he comes from.
While almost every track features a keen sense of melody, "See Thru" and "Never Told U" especially imply some serious musicality. Mechatok's EP still has a bedroom-made feel to it, but to have found an individual voice so early in his career is impressive.
Tracklist01. Toke
02. See Thru
03. Linked
04. Placer
05. Never Told U