- It's unusual for Kobosil to deliver a fully club-facing EP, but that's exactly what's happened on 105, his latest for Ostgut Ton. Previous 12-inches for Ostgut, MDR and Kobosil's own RK outlet have coupled dance material with ambient and more experimental fare. When it comes to productions, Kobosil is a risk-taker who, over the years, has taken us down odd paths. Then, in January last year, he released his debut album, We Grow, You Decline. It marked a turning point in his discography, where he found a groove somewhere between the home and the club.
105 is Kobosil's beeline back to the dance floor. All four tracks are leathery techno rompers—tough yet pliant—with the EBM aftertaste associated with the Berghain resident. This acrid tang is strongest on the opener, "40000 L," which barrels along as it blares like a siren. It teems with ornamental details, but it also shows Kobosil strapping his avant-garde tendencies into a more linear framework. "Bei Nacht H (178)" is a thunderous banger with a moody synth section in the middle, but 105's taught B-sides are its deadliest tracks. Snarling, sinewy and demonic, they would unleash hell on the dance floor. This is Kobosil's best club record yet.
TracklistA1 40000 L
A2 Bei Nacht H (178)
B1 Backmask N
B2 Derange