- Snarling club experiments.
- Slikback is one of the stars of the Nyege Nyege Tapes crew. He started out repping for the darker side of the Ugandan label before breaking out on his own with an impressive turn on PAN and two remarkable 30-track albums. He incorporates unorthodox rhythms, ear-shredding buzzes and loud roars, a unique dance floor cacophony unequaled in the bustling East African scene (or anywhere else, really). On his latest EP, Quoios/Klout, for the British label ByrdOut, he combines that extreme style with an almost somber, otherworldly feel.
The A-side, "Quoios," opens as an experiment in sampling. Slikback molds what sounds like sound effects from an action movie into an eerie rhythm, as muffled sirens and granular kick drums foster a state of alarm—you can see the red lights flashing in your mind's eye as it blasts on by. "Klout" is even more unnerving, a piece of post-industrial sound art made from flanging metallic noises, diffused drone waves and barking vocals.
The EP also features two remixes: Bristol's Sunun takes on "Klout" while Polish trio Sarmacja offer a dub version of "Quoios." Both seize on Slikback's sub-bass textures and branch off from there—Sunun making a more streamlined dance cut, lopping off some of the more confrontational sounds, while Sarmacja emphasizes the radical nature of Slikback's harsh noises and obscure shapes.
Quoios/Klout is a banner Slikback record, relying on his usual phantasmagorical vocal effects, gritty drums and heavily manipultaed samples. It doesn't offer much in the way of new sounds, or any hint of where he might go next—except further down his dark path through the extremes of club music.
Tracklist01. Quoios
02. Klout
03. Quoios (Sarmacja Dub)
04. Klout (Sunun Remix)