- Frederic Berger and Patrick Buck's Kaiserdisco is hardly a household name, catchy as it is, and their latest 12-inch is not about to change that. The duo have been producing since 2008, mostly for Riley Reinhold's My Best Friend, and basic functionality seems their agenda.
The three tracks on Early Bird EP generally adhere to past formula, blending the zippy percussive skat of Trapez with bolder drum sounds, although here all are marked by a sticky, gelatinous element, as though swimming in oil. The A-side's "Dark Orbit" cuts through the gloop with madly chattering rhythmic components, particularly skipping woodblock tics, becoming increasingly anxious as the piece progresses. The title track benefits from more space, harvesting a lower slung bassline and catchy ska pulse, drawn in Thomas Fehlmann-like treacle. "Smoke City" attempts more of the same but by now it's wearing thin, the bass an aquatic slither, hiss and pops employed less liberally, and what sounds like a yelped "huh" from Senor Coconut. Three cuts of no-nonsense minimal tools, all expertly crafted and with enough gurgling hooks to keep you interested.
Tracklist A1 Dark Orbit
B1 The Early Bird
B2 Smoke City