- Dembow, krautrock and classic house—try to keep up with this disjointed mixtape.
- Why Be's indefinable post-club sound has been making the rounds through various DJ mixes, compilations and self-released channels for the past eight or so years. The producer, AKA Tobias Lee, has mostly spent that time hitting all the scene's key labels, with contributions to Mixpak, NON and Janus Berlin.
Vacant Violation, a seven-track mixfile, is more disjointed. The transitions and layering of tracks feel forced, which makes its direction hard to follow. Released on Lee's own Yegorka label, which he cofounded with Janus's Dan DeNorch, the tape veers wildly across styles. There's what sounds like an ethnotronica sample buried under tripped-out pads, choral vocals and, at one point, a harpsichord patch. A wobbly, motorik interlude pops up, then a dembow rhythm and futuristic reggaeton. Rather than a cohesive piece of work by an artist with a vision, Vacant Violation's confusing mix of sounds feels like the chaotic work of many. Moving through classic house, ambient and krautrock into the more industrial edges of EDM, the tracks sound strong as individual pieces but get lost in the chaos.
Tracklist01. World Spa
02. Kitco Sneaker Commercial
03. Boris Lofsky
04. Creased
05. Frog Child
06. Fresh Down
07. Panic Glue Drum't