D.K. - Mystic Warrior

  • The Paris producer conjures a "fantasized Asia" on a colourful house EP.
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  • Dang-Khoa Chau emerged a few years ago as a key player in a revitalised Parisian house scene, though his productions and online sets also reflect interest in styles—ambient, library music—heard away from dance floors. He explored downtempo and beatless music on 2016's Island Of Dreams and his collaborative album with Suzanne Kraft, D.K. / S.K.. Mystic Warrior is Chau's most club-focused release in a while, though, as always, his wider influences are given plenty of space. Video game music seems to be a reference point. (Perhaps unsurprising, if the name D.K. is indeed a reference to Donkey Kong.) There's also what Antinote calls a "fantasized Asia"—the Bruce Lee image on the cover, the name of the EP and the music itself seem to play on a selective, cartoon-like image of East Asian culture that exists only in the Western imagination. Rudimentary, awkwardly synthesized bells and woodwind instruments help conjure this nostalgic cartoon on the housey title track. "Elements" is a similar but more gratifying club tune, with warm pads that smooth the jagged edges of the retro sound palette. D.K. revisits slower tempos on the steamy and atmospheric "Earth People," while "Worries In The Dance" is a nice detour into a darker, grimey sound we haven't heard much of from D.K. before. He gets it spot on.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Mystic Warrior A2 Elements B1 Worries In The Dance B2 Earth People
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