- Kontrast is a new collaboration between two Kompakt favourites, Justus Kohncke and Dirk Leyers (formerly one half of Closer Musik).
The title track on the A-side starts promisingly enough, with slowed down beats and a dark narcotic sexy groove. The sounds are dark and bass heavy, aimed squarely at the hips. The track seems all set to be a slinky minimal slow burner, the beat never rising above a slow and sexy hip swing. Sadly, the slow fuse at the start of the track never really explodes. More elements are introduced as it progresses (mostly some grinding sounds here and there), but the tension never increases. The track continues its sexy grind, but is all foreplay; it never builds to the promised desperate peak. Kontrast would do well to take notes from Leyers' former Closer Musik partner, Matias Aguayo, who absolutely nailed the technique of minimal slow burners on his recent album ‘Are You Really Lost’.
The B-side has two tracks that hit the dancefloor with a faster beat. ‘Every Dog Has It's Day’ has a dark groove slightly similar to the A-side, but suffers from the same problem: the track never really progresses or builds. ‘Lush Life’ is the most successful of the tracks, building nicely with a confident shuffle and a coolly comfortable ambient melody far away in the background.
Kohncke and Leyers reveal hints of something promising on this first Kontrast release, although it isn't fully realized as yet. A second release will hopefully see more finely honed techniques that allow Kontrast to deliver their promised slow and sexy minimal burners.